Shadows: The Twilight Saga Continues, Book Two
by BlondiezHere
Summary: Life and death once again hang in the balance when a secret society makes itself known to the supernatural citizens of Forks. Picks up right where "Full Circle" left off.
1. Choices and Changes

**1. Choices and Changes**

"I don't want to die."

Leah Clearwater turned and looked at the frightened young woman who had approached her. She shut her car door, and with a glance across the roof at Leland Whistler, her bondmate, she stepped forward. "Cailin, are you alright?" she asked softly.

Cailin McTiernan was Embry Call's bondmate - Embry was a wolf shapeshifter like Leah and a member of her pack. Cailin and Leah had both been kidnapped by a vampire bent on using them to breed a "super-race" of vampire-human hybrids only eight days ago. Joham had not had the opportunity to take advantage of Leah herself before he was destroyed, but he unfortunately _had_ raped Cailin, and she had confessed to Leah she was pregnant with the bloodsucker's child the day before yesterday.

"Look, why don't we go inside and talk. Leland won't mind you depriving him of my company for a little while," Leah said when Cailin didn't respond.

"Of course I won't," Leland agreed. Though she had not shared with her boyfriend the truth of Cailin's condition, Leah knew that he suspected - that the wolves in both packs suspected - as did the Cullens, the vampire family that kept a permanent home in nearby Forks. They were all just waiting for Cailin to come forward and confirm their suspicions.

"It's been a while since I phased," Leland went on, referring to the fact that he was also a shapeshifter, though he was not a wolf. His animal form was a raven. "I can go for a flight and leave you two ladies to talk."

"It's alright, Leland," Cailin said, speaking again at last, her Irish accent less musical than Leah recalled, perhaps because of her apparent nervousness. "I'm sure you already have an idea what's going on. Everyone does - they're just waiting for me to say it."

She took a shaky breath, then looked at Leah again. "Can you take me to the Cullens'? I want to talk to Dr. Cullen. I want to know if he really can help me."

Leah stepped forward and took the blonde-haired girl into her arms, holding her close as she said, "Of course I will."

* * *

><p>"We need to leave."<p>

Eight heads turned to look at Alice Cullen, who stared blankly ahead for a moment before fluttering her eyelashes and looking around at her family.

"Leave? Do you mean leave Forks?" asked Jasper Hale, her husband.

Alice took in their concerned expressions and laughed. "Oh gosh, I'm sorry! I shouldn't have said it like that," she replied, giving Jasper's hand a gentle squeeze. "I meant that everyone but Carlisle needs to leave for a while."

Carlisle Cullen, who had been a father to Alice and Jasper since 1950 (in some ways much longer for Alice, as she had seen the Cullens in her visions from the very beginning of her vampire life), raised his blond eyebrows in avid curiosity. "You all get to leave, but I have to stay home? May I ask why?"

"Your immediate future's gotten blurry," Alice replied. "I think one of the wolves is coming over to talk to you."

"So?" piped up Emmett, Alice's adopted brother. "Just means Jake's coming home."

Jacob Black, an Alpha from one of the nearby Quileute wolf packs, was considered a member of the Cullen family, who were all vampires, even though he was a shapeshifter - once a mortal enemy to the vampires. He had imprinted on Renesmée, the daughter of Edward and Bella Cullen, just minutes after she was born; despite the fact that he was already Bella's best friend, the mystical imprinting bond is what made him truly family. Ever since 2007, Jake had been living with the Cullens, because due to the bond he could not bear to be away from the little girl for long periods of time.

Alice shook her head. "No, he said he was going to be in meetings most of the day with Sam and the other wolves, remember? Besides, I saw you, Edward, and Jasper hunting. Us girls are having a girls' day in Seattle."

"You mean we're going shopping - which is your favorite pastime," Bella joked.

The pixie-like vampire to whom she spoke narrowed her golden eyes. "I know what I saw," she said, enunciating every word.

The rest of the family laughed. "I suppose we may as well get going then," remarked Edward. "It's amusing how your vision coincides with the fact that we need to hunt anyway."

"See? It all works out!" Alice said brightly as she jumped up from her seat on the couch. "You boys go now, and us girls will go when we get back. We shouldn't be gone more than a couple of hours."

"And what about me?" Carlisle asked with some amusement.

"I see you later, bits and pieces, so I don't think there's anything to worry about," Alice said. "You're going to be spending a lot of time in your study after this blurry period."

"Something you should be familiar with, darling," teased Esme, kissing her husband on the cheek as she passed by him on the way to get her purse from the hall table.

Within minutes, Edward, Jasper, and Emmett had departed for the woods, while Esme, Rosalie, Bella, Alice and Renesmée took off in Carlisle's Mercedes. Carlisle watched them go and then returned to the house, wandering up to his study as his mind mulled over what Alice had _not_ seen. His immediate future was blurry and that could mean any number of things, although a visit from one of the wolves was the most likely scenario, given Alice's inability to see the shapeshifters in her visions. But he wasn't taking anything for granted, and so he stood at the windows of his study overlooking the front lawn, while keeping his sharpened hearing attuned to the sounds of the house and the woods that surrounded it, not wanting to be taken unawares by anyone or anything.

It was not long after the women had departed that he heard a car coming up the long, winding drive. Carlisle left his study and went downstairs, deciding to meet his visitor outside. A few minutes later, a compact vehicle that he recognized as belonging to Leah Clearwater was pulling up to a stop in front of the house. Smiling with amusement that Alice had been right about a visit from one of the wolves, he stepped down from the porch as the three occupants got out - Leah's boyfriend and imprint Leland from the driver's seat, Leah herself from the passenger seat, and Cailin McTiernan from the back. The vampire doctor studied Cailin closely, looking for signs of what he was fairly certain she was here to discuss. But given the incredible amount of courage it had taken her to come, not to mention his respect for the girl, he decided to let her take the lead. While he suspected she had come to confess that she was pregnant, should she lose her nerve and not bring it up, he certainly wasn't going to force the issue.

Smiling warmly he greeted the three, saying, "Leah, Leland, Cailin - this is a welcome surprise. It's good to see you all again so soon. Would you care to come inside?"

Leah glanced back at Cailin, who was eyeing him nervously and twisting her hands in front of herself, then back to Carlisle. "Yes, I think that would be a good idea."

Carlisle turned and headed back up onto the porch. Opening the door, he stepped aside so that the three could pass by and then led them into the living room, where he suggested they make themselves comfortable. Leah sat next to Cailin on the sofa and Leland took one of the overstuffed armchairs, while Carlisle himself took the one opposite him.

"What can I do for you?" the doctor asked carefully.

Leah placed a hand on Cailin's back and began to rub it in a comforting fashion. Cailin's bright green eyes were wet with unshed tears as she looked up at him. "I'm sure you have a good idea why I've come, sir," Cailin said slowly. "That evil bastard what took away Sierra Bivens and killed her by getting her pregnant did the same thing to me."

Carlisle's expression was grave as he nodded. "Yes, we've been wondering about that," he said slowly. "I'm so very sorry to hear that you were abused so, but I am glad that you've come to me. I can only imagine how very frightened you are."

"I don't want to die, Dr. Cullen," Cailin said as a tear slipped from her right eye to slide down her pale cheek, followed by another on the left. "I don't want to die and I don't want to become a vampire. I want to live and stay human, so that I can become the mother of Embry's children. I want to grow old with the man I love, and watch our children grow and have their own children, and I cannot do that if this child kills me."

The vampire nodded, his expression changing to one of sympathy. "I understand that conceiving children to carry on the shapeshifting genes is of great import to the wolves, and I have a feeling that you'd want children even without that as an incentive."

"I would. I've always wanted children of me own."

Carlisle chanced a smile. "In anticipation of the possibility that you were pregnant - using what we learned from Nahuel and our own experience three years ago - I've devised a plan that I believe will help minimize pain and injury for you, and allow me to help you remain human after your child is born."

He sighed then, not wanting to say what he was about to, but knowing it needed to be said. "I must tell you, however, that I cannot make any guarantees. I believe this plan will work, I truly do, but I want to make you aware of the risks involved."

"Meaning that no matter what you do, I could still die," Cailin said, and he nodded. "As much as it kills me to think of leaving Embry alone in this world, especially after what happened to poor Collin Littlesea, I am aware of the possibility that I might not survive."

"And I take it you've no desire to be turned should it come to making such a choice?"

Cailin shook her head. "No sir. I mean no offense to you, or even to Bella who is the only one of you what chose to become a vampire, but I'd be just as good as dead if I were to become one. Vampire females can't bear children. I'd be giving up my dream, and be of no use to Embry."

Carlisle didn't say that he believed Embry would love her no matter what - it was probably not something she was of a mind to hear. Instead he asked her, "Does Embry know?"

More tears fell as she shook her head again. "I haven't told him yet, though like everyone else, I know he suspects. I want to be sure I've a good chance of walking away from this before I bring his whole world crashing down."

"Cailin, let me reassure you - I believe you have a _great_ chance of walking away. Now that I know for sure, I can gather the equipment and supplies we'll need to care for you and your baby."

"Not my baby," Cailin said then, surprising him. "I…I don't want it. God forgive me because I know it's not the child's fault, but I just can't do it. I can't raise that monster's baby. Better it be someone who can love it unconditionally than a horrible person like me who can't even bear to entertain the idea."

"Cailin, that doesn't make you a horrible person, sweetie," Leah said, speaking up for the first time since they'd come inside. "It makes you an honest person. You're acknowledging your limits, and this is just one of those things you can't do. No one will blame you for that."

"Leah's right, Cailin. I don't think anyone would hold your deciding to give up the child against you," Carlisle agreed. "I think it's enough that you are willing to go through with the pregnancy at the risk of your own life - no more could be asked of you than that. Have you considered who to entrust the child to once it's born?"

Cailin chuckled mirthlessly as she wiped at her eyes. "Well, obviously I know it can't be given off to any orphanage. It's best this baby is raised with family. It's got two sisters nearby, and I'm fairly certain Jennifer won't mind as she's already raising Ever."

She sighed, then looked solemnly at Carlisle. "But I'm actually thinking of someone else to give the child to, someone I'm told would love it as it were her own, what with her not being able to have any. Do…do you think your Rosalie would want it?"

Carlisle smiled. "I think Rosalie would never be able to thank you enough for giving her such a gift."

* * *

><p>"Where's Leah? Isn't she supposed to be here?"<p>

Jacob Black turned to his packmate Quil Ateara. "She wanted to be, but I told her it would be best for her to keep doing what she's been doing, helping Shalayne Whistler with her phasing."

In the history of their tribe, there had only ever been one female wolf, and that was Leah. Now, suddenly, there were two - the transformation of Leland Whistler's younger sister was a shock to everyone, not only because she'd phased at all, but also because she'd only been in La Push for about two weeks. Jacob was beginning to think that Leah's theory of being surrounded by other shifters also having an effect on the activation of their shapeshifting genes had some merit, whereas previously they'd all believed it was only the proximity of vampires.

In order to help the newest member of the pack get used to her condition, Jacob had talked to Leah about being her mentor. He and Sam were keeping the other wolves away so as to give Shalayne time to acclimate herself to the sudden shift in her reality. She had been seen by Mikah and Mason from his pack as well as Paul and three others from Sam's pack the first time she'd shifted, but no one save for Leah had seen her since, not even himself. He knew from the images he'd seen in the twins' and Leah's heads that Shalayne's fur was the color of new-fallen snow, and he could admit to longing to see her wolf form with his own eyes. But Jacob was giving Shalayne what he thought was best, what he'd wished for when he'd first turned - time to just get used to it, without all the added stress of being a "guardian of the people."

Besides, there were other things on his mind right now. Sam had told him that with Emily being so close to giving birth, he had begun to feel that it was time to give up his wolf. He had enough control of himself after four years of phasing that he believed he could do it, though certainly it was going to take time to give it up completely. But with the arrival of his first child imminent, Sam Uley was determined to be a better father than his own had been to him. He also did not want his family growing older without him, and since phasing halted the aging process of the shapeshifters, Sam knew he'd have to give up phasing altogether in order to begin aging again.

That's what this meeting was all about: it was a ceremonial passing of the torch. When Jacob had embraced his Alpha heritage three years ago, he and Sam had both recognized that in spite of their separation, it was only a matter of time before the packs were reunited as one. After all, there was only ever supposed to be one Alpha - _the_ Alpha - and that was Jacob. It was his birthright to lead not only the wolf pack, but the tribe as well. And so, after some discussion, Jacob and Sam had decided to make the announcement to both packs.

But again, this was only ceremonial, in a sense. The moment Sam had told Jacob he was giving up his wolf, and therefore his place as an Alpha, a power the strength of which neither one had ever felt before passed through the air around them - it was so strong that it had shaken Sam and Emily's house. Jacob had immediately recognized that ethereal energy for what it was, and with a sigh he had tilted his head back, holding his arms out to his sides in welcome, as he fully embraced that which had always been his: the power of the Alpha. From that moment on, he knew that he was in control of every wolf, that they would all follow his command should he give one. The packs, in plural, were no more - there was just the pack, as it always should have been.

Sam, for his part, had looked immeasurably relieved, and it was not lost on Jacob just how much a burden he had placed on Sam's shoulders when he'd initially refused the leadership. Though they hadn't always agreed - to the point of breaking the pack into two groups - Sam had been a good, strong leader. He had done the best he could with a responsibility that was never meant to be his, and although he was now giving up his wolf, he would always be a part of the pack and recognized as a leader among them.

"Alright everyone, settle down," Sam said then, drawing Jacob out of his reverie. He looked around, noting the presence of every wolf except for Shalayne and Leah, plus several of the mates as well. It was right they were present for this announcement, he thought.

When the low murmur of chatter continued, Paul Lahote looked around, then said loudly, "Shut the fuck up!"

Although his words had the desired effect and everyone gathered began to quiet down, Rachel Black - Jacob's sister and Paul's imprint - smacked him on the shoulder. "Language, Paul. There are children present."

Paul didn't look the least bit sorry. He grinned widely and then kissed Rachel on the nose before turning his attention to Sam and Jacob.

"Thank you all for coming on such short notice," Sam said, glancing sideways at Jacob. "Jacob and I have some news we'd like to share with you."

"We finally going to get to meet our new sister?" asked Aaron Wakefield. "As a wolf, I mean."

"And what about the other one - the bear? Dude, I still can't freakin' believe there are bear shapeshifters out there," added Henry Raintree.

"Guys, all in due time," Jacob said, and though he had spoken in a normal tone of voice, the latent authority of the Alpha was apparent in those simple words. Every one of the wolves looked at him sharply, confusion in their eyes. "Look, as soon as Shalayne is ready to meet with you guys, you'll get to see her in wolf form. She wants to learn to control her shifting first, and I'm going to give her that time - and so are you. As for Aitana Greatwood, I can't say. Her dad might be taking her back to South Dakota soon, so there's a chance the only people who will get to see her as a bear are the ones who already have."

Those that had seen her as a bear glanced at each other, but said nothing. Like Jacob, they were all aware that Aitana had been in love with Leland and had meant to kill Leah just yesterday, thinking it would free Leland to be with her. It was going to take the girl some time to accept that Leland was never meant to be hers.

"You all know that Emily will be giving birth in just three weeks," Sam went on. "The impending arrival of my son or daughter has made me consider many things about the future, such as the fact that I don't want Em to grow any older without me. After much thought, and discussion with Jacob this morning, I've decided that it is time for me to give up my wolf."

"Dude, you can't do that!" said Drake, one of the youngest of the wolves at sixteen. "Who's going to lead our pack?"

Jacob stepped forward, standing tall and imposing at 6' 7" in height, and said, "I am. I was always meant to be your Alpha, and now I am. The wolves are all one pack again."

All the boys glanced at each other, and he knew that they could literally feel the truth of his words. "But how is that possible?" asked Jared Cameron, who had been Sam's Beta. He'd returned from his honeymoon the night before. "And no offense, but how the hell are you going to lead us when you live three thousand miles away?"

"I relinquished my claim to the Alpha authority, Jared," Sam said quietly. "It was never really mine to begin with. You know that."

"And I finally embraced it - all of it. I know you guys can feel it, too," Jacob added. "I knew that it was time - in fact, I think I've known ever since I split from the pack three years ago and inadvertently started another that it was only a matter of time before they would be united again under one leader. The only way to do that would be for me to accept completely the power and responsibility of my Alpha heritage. I've done that now. I will always be Alpha no matter where I am, and will lead you when I am here. But given my circumstances, I recognize that I will need to name someone to lead you in my place when I'm not."

"Sam, are you sure about this?" asked Paul.

Sam nodded. "I'm sure, Paul. And it's already done. There's no going back, for either of us."

"So who's going to be in charge when you're across the country, bro?" asked Embry.

Jacob looked at him. "You and Jared have the most leadership experience, with him being a Beta and you being all but one with Leah's retirement. But before we get to that, Sam's choice has made me think that those of you who are near in age to your mates really need to take them into consideration - they continue to age while you stay the same, and it's not exactly fair to them. Now, I'm not saying you have to give up phasing anytime soon, but it's something you should seriously think about."

Jared looked at his new wife, Kim, while Paul looked at Rachel. Noah, Aaron, and Oliver also looked at their girls. The latter three boys were all seventeen and their mates were the same age, while Jared and Paul were both nineteen. Kim was also nineteen, and Rachel was twenty-three. Having gotten married, Jared had already accepted that he would someday be creating a family with Kim, but Jacob suspected it would be a few more years before that happened. He might continue phasing until Kim was ready to start having children. Jacob's sister was nearing her mid-twenties and he knew that she wanted a family, not to mention that she wanted to get out of La Push again. He had a feeling that retiring would be a subject she and Paul would be discussing over the next few days.

Embry was nineteen as well, and Cailin would be twenty-one next month. Given what they all feared had happened to her when she'd been kidnapped, Jacob had the feeling it might be a while for them as well.

"Like I said, I am not saying _anyone_ has to stop phasing. I'm not going to order you to because I think it's a choice only you can make for yourselves. I know some of you have to keep phasing for the next several years because of the age of your imprints," Jacob went on, his eyes glancing at Quil and Mikah Westerman. "Some of us will be phasing for the rest of our lives because of our imprints." That one was directed at himself, Seth Clearwater, and Alex Emerson, all of whom had imprinted on vampire-human hybrids. "But retirement is something that most of you need to think about over the next few years. The Cullens have told me they're not coming back to Forks again after this Christmas - at least not for a few decades - which means pretty soon the need for the pack will be almost non-existent. By the time they do come back, you'll all probably be grandparents, maybe even great-grandparents."

"And then our grandkids or great-grandkids will have to put up with this bullshit just like we did," muttered Johnny Quinto.

"Which is something else I've considered the last couple of years - more so after recent events," Jacob replied. "We don't know why and we may never understand it, but Seth, Alex, and I have all imprinted on girls who are half vampire. Despite their bloodsucker genetics, they're actually a lot like us: they're hyper-metabolic, they have a higher heart rate and a higher body temperature than humans… The thing is, being bonded to them means we have to keep phasing; because they stop aging at physical maturity, we have to phase for the rest of our lives to keep our own aging stalled, which will allow us to stay with them for as long as they live.

"This means that the next wolf pack will have the three of us to learn from, to guide them. Although our Elders have done their best for us, and we're all grateful for their advice, they're not wolves. They knew what was going on, but they didn't know what it was like because they'd never been through it. In the beginning, none of us had the benefit of being taught how to be a wolf by someone who'd been through it themselves, and we all know Sam was pretty much winging it."

Everybody laughed at that, and Jacob gave them time to settle before he continued. "The next wolf pack won't have to suffer through the learning process like we did. Next time around, someone's going to be here who knows and understands what they're going through."

"I wonder…" Seth said, speaking up for the first time. "Maybe our imprinting on hybrids was the magic's way of ensuring there would always be someone to teach future wolves how to be wolves."

"That's all well and good for the next pack," Paul said, "but what about _our_ pack? If the Cullens aren't going to come back after Christmas, that means you won't be coming back either, right?"

"Actually, no," Jacob countered. "I've still got several years that I can come back here for the summer, and you have my word that I will. I might not be living in La Push anymore, but it's always going to be my home, and I'm not going to ignore my responsibilities to the pack."

"So who's going to be in charge when you're not here for the other nine months of the year?" Paul pressed.

Jacob glanced at Sam, then looked back to Paul. "As I said before, Jared and Embry have the most leadership experience in the role of Beta. Sam and I believe they should share the responsibility of leading the pack when I'm not here. Sam's also agreed to continue acting in an advisory capacity until such time as he's done phasing for good, and he can help settle any disputes between the two of them. If he can't, then you call me."

"And you guys really think this plan will work?" Jared queried.

Sam nodded. "We do."

"Guys, I know it sounds complicated," Jacob added, to which several heads bobbed in agreement. "But it's the best plan we could come up with, and we've got the next six weeks to work on smoothing out any kinks."

Silence followed for a moment, until Mason Westerman, Mikah's twin brother, spoke up, saying, "I think it's great that we're going to be one pack. That we're all brothers again."

"Mason, even when there were two packs, man," Jared said, "we were always brothers. All of us."

* * *

><p>The direction of the pack meeting turned to how Embry and Jared would work together as leaders when Jacob was away. All the mates - though interested in hearing about the lives of the wolves and what it was like to be a shapeshifter - took this as a cue to leave, though they didn't wander far. The women and the children simply moved a little further down the beach to leave the men to talk pack politics in private.<p>

Everyone was surprised several minutes later when three figures appeared on the beach walking toward them. Seth and Alex, recognizing the scents of their imprints, immediately jumped up and jogged toward them. Seth in particular was a little worried about Jennifer - she hadn't left his house in the entire time she'd been staying there except to go to the Cullens' to hunt. She'd never been face to face with the whole pack before, and given her involvement in what had happened to Sierra and Collin, as well as Cailin and Leah, he couldn't help but worry about how the others would react. That was why, despite his wanting her there, he hadn't brought her to this meeting.

Although there were some wary glances directed her way, he was relieved to see that the boys were far more interested in the third new arrival: Shalayne Whistler. Seth watched their reactions as they looked at her, wondering if Leah was right - his sister had theorized that when mates were both shapeshifters, they both had to be phasing in order for either to imprint. No one knew for sure because Leah was the only one who'd ever imprinted on another shapeshifter, and even then, Leland hadn't been phasing yet. Though from what they had told everyone, he had imprinted on Leah at the same time as she had on him, because raven shapeshifters imprinted before they phased, not after.

Jacob jogged over just behind Seth and Alex, his large frame essentially blocking Shalayne, Jennifer, and Ever - who was now securely tucked into Alex's arms and using her hands to make him do fish lips - from view.

"Hello, Jennifer," Jacob said, smiling warmly in greeting. "I'm glad to see you out and about - it's time the others get used to your presence. Just be brave and don't let them intimidate you."

Jennifer smiled shyly and glanced at Seth, who nodded his encouragement, and then Jacob turned to Shalayne, to whom he held out his hand. "Jacob Black," he introduced himself as she tentatively took his hand. "Last time I saw you was… well, it was a night most of us would rather forget."

Shalayne nodded. "Indeed. I'm really very sorry about Sierra and Collin. And…I remember you. I heard your voice the first time I changed. You're Leah's Alpha."

Jacob glanced over his shoulder for a moment then looked back at her. "Actually, I'm everyone's Alpha now. Sam's relinquished his claim to the authority and I've taken it all on myself, something I should have done a long time ago."

"I wouldn't beat yourself up over it," Shalayne said. "Leah's told me all about how things happened here, and I can only figure that you needed time to get used to being in the pack before you were ready to accept the responsibility of leading it."

Jacob and Seth chuckled. "You will be a great addition to the pack, Shalayne, for however long you keep phasing," Jacob told her. "It'll be good to have another sharp mind that can get straight to the point. I would say I wish this didn't happen to you, but - "

She waved his words off. "Please, I get enough of that from Lee," she said. "And as much as I might agree with that - whenever I allow myself to think about it - I have to admit that my brother and Leah have a good point on it."

"What's that?"

"We are what we are for a reason, and this wouldn't have happened to any of us if it wasn't meant to," Shalayne replied. "I have to hold onto that belief or I'll go stark raving mad, I think."

Instinctively, Jacob reached out and drew her to him. Shalayne stiffened at first and then allowed herself to be held. "You aren't alone, sister," Jacob told her. "A lot of us went a little crazy at first, before we learned to accept what we are."

Holding her away from him, he added, "You're doing remarkably well, all things considered. You and Leland. And you have the shortest transition period of any of us, being that you've only been here about two weeks."

"Yeah, that's the part that we can't figure out, how come it happened so soon," she agreed. "But whatever, right? What's done is done. I am what I am, vampires are real, and the world is nuttier than a Christmas fruitcake."

Jacob, Seth, and even Jennifer laughed at that; Alex could only chuckle as Ever was still making him do fish lips, which the little hybrid apparently found incredibly hilarious. She herself was giggling madly.

With another glance over his shoulder, Jacob turned to Shalayne and Jennifer. "What are you guys doing here, anyway? I thought you and Leah were working on your phasing?"

Shalayne nodded. "We were, but we took a break for lunch. Leah and Leland went to her house because Leah wanted to have lunch with her mom, but they never came back. I went over to see what was keeping her, and Jennifer told me she hadn't seen them, then suggested we come here in case you'd called her to the meeting and she just forgot to let me know."

"I haven't seen her today, either," Jacob said with a frown, then relaxed his features. "Well, since you're both here, we may as well get the introductions over with. You've met the boys in the pack before, Shalayne, but you haven't seen any of them in human form since you started phasing. And Jennifer hasn't met but a few. This should be interesting."

"What about Leah?" Seth asked.

"I'll give her a call here in a few to see what's going on," he replied. "First, we introduce our sisters to their brothers."

Turning around, Jacob started back toward the pack. The women had drifted back over again, curiosity evident on their features as they took in the sight of Shalayne, Jennifer, and Ever. When they reached the large group gathered around the logs and blankets, Jake stepped aside to begin the introductions just as Shalayne gasped and fell to her knees.


	2. Shocks to the System

**2. Shocks to the System**

"What the fuck is happening to me now?"

Shalayne's eyes were wide as she tried catching her breath. "As if I'm not enough of a freak - "

Before anyone had a chance to help her, even those closest to her, Mason Westerman was on his knees in front of her, his hands on her shoulders as he helped her straighten. "Shalayne, look at me. You felt it too, I know you did."

She looked at the boy in front of her as several gasps sounded, and the gathered men and women began to murmur. Few of them had been witness to an imprinting as it happened, let alone one that appeared to be a two-way bond, so this was quite the experience for all of them.

Shalayne's face softened as she looked at Mason, her wide eyes going from shock to wonder. "I felt…I don't know what I felt. Something… I just barely looked at you and… Something happened to me. There were all these images in my head, and this weird feeling just came over me - I can't describe it."

Mason smiled. "I felt it too, and if I'm not mistaken, I think we just imprinted on each other." He lifted his left hand from her shoulder and cupped her cheek gently. "I looked into your eyes just now and I knew without a doubt that you were everything I could ever want in this world."

Her lips fluttered into a smile. "That's it! That's what I felt when I looked at you. It felt like my whole life I'd been waiting for just this moment."

She looked up then at Jacob, whose smile was wide and welcoming. "How is this possible? Does… Does it mean that Leah's right? That when both people are shapeshifters, they both have to be phasing to imprint?"

Jacob glanced at Sam, who said, "It would seem that our Alpha female is wiser than we ever gave her credit for," which earned a few chuckles. "But yes, it would appear Leah's theory was correct. You and Mason have seen each other before - he's been a wolf for two years, and he did not imprint until now, not until after you began phasing."

"Does this mean he and I have to be together?"

Mason's expression looked pained for a moment, but he recovered quickly and told her, "Shalayne, we can follow the imprinting instinct, or we can just be friends, or we can go our separate ways. You're very new to this world, and as much as I feel drawn to you, you have my word that I will not force you into any kind of relationship that you don't want."

Shalayne took his hand from her face and held it for a moment, before slowly getting to her feet. Mason followed, taking a step back to give her some space. "I really don't know what to think right now," she told him. "I feel this indescribable urge to make you happy above all else, but I hardly know you. Why does this imprinting crap have to pick perfect strangers?"

"I'm afraid no one has the answer to that, Shalayne," Jacob said quietly. "A lot of us would love to know it, but there's no one who can tell us. The only thing those who have imprinted can tell you for sure is that it's almost impossible to resist the pull. You're going to want to be near each other as much as possible. You'll want to make each other happy more than anything else."

"His safety will be of the utmost concern to you, as will yours be to him," added Sam. "But Mason has a good point - you are so very new to this, and nothing should be forced on you that you don't want."

"At least nothing that hasn't already been," Shalayne chided, then closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them again, she took in Mason's expression, which she could tell he was trying very hard to keep from looking pleading. "I don't want to hurt you but just saying no right off the bat," she said. "I feel like I can't say no, anyway. I feel drawn to you, too, but I don't just want to jump into a relationship with someone I hardly know. You understand that, I hope?"

Mason nodded. "I do. And I've given you my word that I won't force it on you, but… I'm hoping you'll give me a chance. I can't help feeling that way. We… we can start off like any normal couple, just talking and getting to know each other. I'll take you out on dates and…"

Shalayne stopped him by placing a hand on his chest. "One step at a time, okay? Let's try talking first."

"Okay, I can do that," he replied with a smile. "You want to go for a walk?"

Shalayne nodded and turned away, starting off down the beach in the direction she had come. Mason quickly fell into step beside her.

The rest of the group watched them go for a moment before a chorus of light laughter sounded. "To think that just yesterday he was whining about Seth and Alex getting the girls," Embry said.

There was more laughter then, which was interrupted by Brady. "Do you guys think this means the rest of us are going to imprint soon?" he asked. "I mean, there's only five of us now who haven't, and in the last month and a half there have been four, including Mason just now."

"Four bondings in rapid succession does seem a little strange," Sam agreed. "Maybe we should confer with the Elders, see if we can't find something in the tribal histories that might explain this."

Jacob nodded. "Sounds like a good idea to me. Sam, can you hold down the fort for a minute? I need to track down Leah, see what's going on with her."

Sam nodded and turned back to the group gathered before him as Jacob turned away, fishing his cell phone out of his pocket. Flipping it open, he pressed the speed-dial number he'd assigned Leah's cell and then held the phone up to his ear as he took a few steps away.

Leah picked up just as the third ring was starting. "Hey, Jake," she said.

Her quiet tone caused him to frown. "Leah, what's going on? You bugged out on Shalayne this afternoon," he queried.

"Not intentionally," Leah replied, and Jacob could tell she was distracted. "Something came up that I couldn't ignore. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to leave her - "

"Leah, seriously, what's going on? You're starting to worry me."

Jacob listened to her sigh. "Give me a second," she said, and then he heard muffled sounds over the phone, as if she'd placed her hand over the mike. Impatience mixed with concern as he waited for her to get back on the line.

"Jake, I'm sure you're still at the pack meeting, but I need you to come to the Cullens' house. Bring Embry with you," she said at last.

Jacob felt the blood drain from his face. "Shit," he muttered. "Cailin's pregnant, isn't she? That filthy bloodsucker did to her what he did to Sierra?"

Leah sighed again. "Yes," she said gravely. "But don't tell Embry that. Cailin wants to break it to him herself."

"Alright. Leah, just so you know, the reason for the meeting is that Sam gave up his Alpha authority this morning. It's just me now, and the pack is reunited. We let everyone know and we've been doing some planning for when I'm not here, who's going to be in charge and all that."

Her voice was a little lighter when she replied. "Well, you _are_ the hereditary Alpha, Jake. You've been saying it's just a matter of time before the packs reunite. If you're worried about being a good leader, don't. You've already proven that you've got what it takes. After all, it's what you were born for."

Jacob shook his head, marveling at her confidence in him. Although he had at long last wholeheartedly embraced his birthright, he couldn't help the worry. A pack of eight had been fairly easy to handle - now he was responsible for nineteen lives other than his own. It was enough to make any man sweat bullets.

"So who's going to be running the show when you're in New Hampshire?" Leah asked then.

"Sam and I agreed on Jared and Embry sharing the job, since you're still planning on retirement. Sam gave up his Alpha authority because he's retiring too. He doesn't want Emily getting any older without him getting older by her side, so... Anyway, he's going to be an advisor to the pack in my absence, and come to think of it, you could be too, if you're up to it. You've been my Beta since we broke away, and you might still be planning on giving up your wolf, but you're also still part of the pack, just like Sam will be when he's done."

Leah chuckled. "Maybe Emily and I can be pack mothers together," she said. "Look, Jake, your plan makes perfect sense. Jared might be married now, but he and Kim are still fairly young. I daresay they're gonna wait a few years before they start having kids, so he can keep phasing until she's ready. And this thing with Cailin… Well, needless to say it may put a damper on whatever plans she and Embry may have had."

Jacob released his own sigh. "That about sums it up. Alright, I'll grab Embry and head over. God, I sure as hell hope Doc Fang's got a plan, otherwise we could lose another brother. I don't think the pack can handle that right now, I really don't. And I don't want to lose one of the best damn friends I've ever had."

"He has a plan, Jake. He's been going over it with Cailin since I brought her here, and I agree with him that it really could work. He's not offering guarantees, but the hope is not false, either. I really believe she has a good chance of living through this," Leah said.

Jacob glanced over his shoulder at the group of wolves and their mates, noting that no one seemed to mind that Jennifer was there - in fact, they weren't even paying much attention to her. She and Seth had sat off to the side with Alex and Ever, evidently out of respect for those that might still harbor some resentment of her for her part in what had happened to Sierra, Cailin, and Leah. He was happy for them both that the guys and girls appeared to be giving her a chance, insofar as there had been no objections to her being there, because Seth shouldn't have to hide her or how he felt about her away from the world.

"She'd better," he said at last, then hung up and prepared to take Embry to another meeting, one that might just break his heart.

* * *

><p>He hadn't known how to broach the subject, so Jacob had just told Embry he needed him to go somewhere with him. They climbed into his Rabbit and headed off, and it didn't take long for Embry to realize just where it was they were going. After that, he grew quiet and sat staring out the window until they pulled up next to Leah's car in front of the Cullens' three-story house.<p>

"Dude, it's gonna be alright," Jacob said quietly when Embry made no move to get out.

"Jake, it's one thing to suspect, knowing what that fucker did to her," Embry replied. "She's going to confirm it now, and I have to face the fact that I could lose her. I don't know how I'm going to live without her if something happens to her."

Without giving him a chance to respond, Embry pushed open the passenger door and climbed out of the car. Sighing, Jacob pulled his keys from the ignition and followed. The two walked up to the porch, where Leland opened the door for them before they could knock. He led them on the familiar path into the living room, where Carlisle stood by the large flat-screen television, and Leah sat next to a stiff-backed Cailin on the sofa.

Noticing that Embry had frozen in place beside him, Jacob placed a hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze, then gave him a slight push. Blinking, Embry finally moved of his own accord to sit down on Cailin's right. Jake went to sit in the armchair adjacent to Embry's right and Leland sat in the one across from him, to Leah's left.

"Cailin?" Embry said softly, reaching for her hand. Tears began falling in rivulets as she began to shake, and a sob escaped her as Embry decided to forego her hand in favor of drawing her to him.

"Baby, it's okay," he told her, tears forming in his own eyes. Jacob and Leah exchanged a glance - they both knew it had to be killing Embry to see Cailin so tormented.

"You don't have to say anything," Embry went on. "We'll figure something out."

"Embry," Carlisle spoke up, his voice soft with what Jacob knew was intent to comfort. "Cailin has decided to carry the child to term, and after the birth she will give custody over to Rosalie, if she and Emmett agree to it."

"What if she doesn't want it?" Embry asked, stroking Cailin's back as he held her.

"Rose will want it, trust me," Jacob said. "Even if she didn't, Edward and Bella would take it, I'm sure. And if not them, Seth and Jennifer probably would, since they've already got Ever to take care of. You don't have to worry, someone's going to be willing to care for this kid."

"Cai, are you sure you don't - "

"No," she said sharply, sniffling as she sat back, looking him in the eye at last. "While I hold no blame against the child, because it's not his or her fault how it came to be, I just can't stomach the thought. I won't be able to look at it without remembering how it happened, and that's not fair to the wee babe. Besides, if Dr. Cullen's plan doesn't work, I'm going to die, and then the child would be all alone anyway. Best it goes to a family that won't care how it was conceived, that will always be here for it."

"Cailin, don't you dare talk about dying!" Embry said fiercely, then looked up at Carlisle. "You can save her, right? You've got some sort of plan for getting this thing out without killing her?"

The vampire nodded. "As I've told Cailin, I cannot offer you a guarantee given the dangers involved, but the plans I've made do give us a greater chance of a safe delivery as well as keeping her alive afterward."

"Speaking of which, what are you going to do? What's the plan?"

Carlisle sighed. "In order to keep a close watch on her progress, it'll be best if she moves into the house with my family until the delivery," he began. "I'll gather monitoring equipment as I did with Bella to keep track of her health, as well as take care of any injuries she may suffer as a result of the child's strength."

"You mean this thing could hurt her?"

"I'm afraid it's a very real possibility, but I'll be doing my best to minimize any chance of injury," the doctor went on. "We'll keep Cailin off her feet as much as possible, and I'm afraid she will have to start consuming blood in addition to a regular diet, in order to maintain her health as well as that of the child."

"What about when it's time for this thing to be born?" Embry pressed.

At this, Carlisle offered a smile. "I think it will actually work in our favor to take the child a few days earlier than when Bella delivered Renesmée. Knowing what to expect enables us to plan ahead, and we'll be able to deliver the child in a controlled environment. Cailin will be under anesthesia and I'll make sure there is plenty of blood on hand in case she requires a transfusion."

"What about…what about her organs?" Embry asked. "Will she be able to have her own kids after this?"

"I have every confidence that I'll be able to save Cailin's uterus, but if for any reason it is damaged beyond repair, she'll still have her ovaries," Carlisle replied. "The two of you should still be able to have children together; you would just have to use a surrogate."

Jacob watched as Embry digested this information, then turned and gently took Cailin's chin in his hand. "And you're absolutely positive this is what you want to do?" he asked her.

Cailin nodded. "It's what I have to do, love - for us. It's the only chance we've got to save our future."

* * *

><p>Over the next couple of hours, there was a lot of activity at the Cullen house.<p>

Carlisle proved he had been prepared for this turn of events by making a phone call to the hospital, and within an hour, the same medical equipment he'd requisitioned for Bella's care during her pregnancy was delivered. While they waited for it to arrive, he, Jacob, and Leland rearranged his study and moved his desk to the library next door. His study was once again a hospital room, filled with monitoring equipment and a standard hospital bed so that he could conduct examinations of Cailin and keep track of her vital signs and the progress of the pregnancy. It was where he would perform the surgery, with Edward's help, to bring the newest member of his family into the world. Carlisle did not feel very amused that Alice had also been right about him spending a lot of time in the study - there was nothing at all funny about holding a frightened young woman's life in your hands, and her life or death would most definitely be decided in that room. The enormity of his responsibility was something he took very seriously.

Since she had only conceived eight days ago and was not showing yet (though she would begin to in the next few days), Carlisle proposed setting the date for the delivery, and he and Cailin decided that he would perform the Cesarean on July 30th. This helped him calculate just how much blood to arrange for, so that there would be plenty on hand both for her to drink as well as to use if a transfusion was necessary.

Seeing that confessing the truth and all the attention was exhausting her, Embry took Cailin upstairs to Jacob's room. There he laid with her in the bed, holding her and telling her just how much he loved her until she fell asleep. As soon as he was sure he wouldn't wake her by moving, the young shapeshifter gently rose and left her alone to rest, shutting the door quietly behind him and heading back downstairs.

Carlisle looked up as he entered the living room. "How is she feeling?" he asked.

"She's asleep now. I think admitting the truth and all your planning about the birth took a lot out of her," he said, dropping down by Jacob on the couch, resting his head against the back with his eyes closed.

"It's good that she's resting," the doctor replied.

After a long moment of silence, Embry lifted his head and looked around. "Where'd Leah and Leland go?"

"I sent them home," Jacob replied. "Leah's going to tell the rest of the pack the news."

Embry started to protest, then stopped himself, knowing that it was right they be told. "Did you tell them about Shalayne and Mason?" he asked.

Jacob chuckled. "No. I thought it would be best to let Shalayne break that news to Lee. Even though he's imprinted himself and knows what it's all about, he's still her older brother. I can just imagine the conversation he'll have with Mason about what his intentions are toward his sister."

Though he couldn't bring himself to laugh, Embry did feel a smile come to his face. "Yeah, I'd love to be a fly on the wall for that one," he said.

"Forgive me, but are you talking about Leland's sister?" Carlisle asked. "She imprinted on Mason?"

Jacob nodded. "And he on her, apparently. Only our second female wolf ever, and our second two-way bond. I'm beginning to wonder if it's not just a 'both mates are shapeshifters' thing, like Leah has theorized, but maybe a female shifter thing. Could be only females form two-way bonds. Who the hell knows?" he said, then sighed. "Today was the first time she'd seen any of the boys since she phased for the first time yesterday. She and Jennifer and Ever showed up on the beach looking for Leah when she didn't return from lunch to continue Shalayne's lessons. I walked 'em over to introduce Jennifer to the rest of the pack, Shalayne and Mason took one look at each other, and bam! That was it."

"It must be such an incredible thing to witness it first hand," Carlisle mused.

"Feeling it's even better," Embry said. "But those two… I don't know."

The vampire frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I think Shalayne's still in a bit of shock over the whole being a shapeshifter thing," Jacob replied. "She told Mason she didn't want to jump into a relationship with someone she hardly knew even though she could feel the urge to do whatever it took to make him happy. He told her he wouldn't force her into anything she didn't want, but asked her to give him a chance anyway."

"Dude, you think Shalayne might try to reject the imprint?" Embry wondered.

Jacob shrugged. "I don't know. As far as I know it's never happened before, but I suppose there's a first time for everything."

"What did Shalayne say when Mason asked her to give him a chance?" Carlisle queried.

Jacob looked over. "He told her he was willing to start slow and do things like normal couples do, with talking and getting to know each other, going on dates and such. She said she'd start with the talking and go from there."

"They're both young, single, and according to the magic that makes us what we are, they're made for each other," Embry pointed out. "Why would anyone want to fight that?"

"No offense, man, but you _do_ remember what happened with Leah and Sam, don't you?" Jacob countered. "Don't you think that, whether she knew what was going on or not, Leah would have liked for Sam to fight the imprint? To deny what his body was telling him to do and choose her instead? They were in love, _really_ in love, and he basically threw it in her face."

Embry frowned. "I thought they made their peace when Leah imprinted?"

His friend nodded. "They did, and yeah, everything worked out in the end because Leah and Sam were apparently never meant to last. But because they were a couple before it happened, if anybody should have tried to fight it, it was Sam. I mean, look how miserable they both were all that time. Sure, Sam eventually felt real love for Emily, but for the longest time, he still loved Leah too. Who knows if fighting his imprint until she'd met hers woulda made things easier on both of them or not? I think the reason it worked out so easy for the rest of us is because none of us had anybody else."

"Okay, I see your point about Leah and Sam, but I say again - Mason and Shalayne are both young and single. They've got nobody else so there's no reason to fight the imprint," Embry challenged. "Mason might try to deny it if you asked him, but he's had the hots for Shalayne ever since she came to town - a lot of guys have, because she's freakin' gorgeous. And I saw his face today, man. I think he was genuinely happy about imprinting on her, because he already likes her so much."

"If I may," Carlisle broke in gently, "I think what Jacob is trying to say is that Shalayne, not knowing Mason all that well, may want the choice to be with him to be _hers_, and not whatever magic it is that makes you all what you are. Now, while most of you have remarkably just accepted that the choice of your mate was made for you, most of you are also male. It's been my experience that no one likes to have their choices taken away or made for them - especially women. Perhaps forcing Mason to court her by conventional means, rather than simply accepting the imprint, will lead Shalayne to develop feelings for him that she can be sure are her own, and not simply a result of the imprinting bond. Women need to feel sure that they are liked and loved for who they are, not because some_one_ or some_thing_ tells the man in question to be with her. They also need to be sure that their own feelings are genuine and not influenced by outside sources, so it could be that Shalayne will want to reassure Mason that the bond is not the only reason she's with him, should she choose to pursue a relationship."

Embry stared at him for a moment, then nodded slowly. "I guess that makes sense," he conceded.

Before the conversation could continue further, Edward, Emmett, and Jasper returned from their hunting trip, entering the house through the back door. Jasper, Embry could tell, was sensing the tension in the air, but he was surprised when he didn't feel any relief from his worry. Perhaps he simply wanted to know what was going on first, and Carlisle quickly filled his sons in on the development.

"Emmett," the doctor added. "What are your feelings on becoming a father?"

Emmett's butterscotch eyes widened. "_Me?_" he cried, looking at Carlisle like he'd grown a second head.

Carlisle nodded. "Cailin has chosen not to keep her child. She is aware of how much Rosalie desires to be a mother, and is planning to offer her the chance to raise this baby. I think we all know what Rose's answer will be, but given that you are her husband, you will most certainly be involved."

The large vampire dropped into one of the armchairs, a stunned expression on his face. "I've honestly never given the matter of kids any thought," he said after a moment. "I mean, once I knew what I was after you changed me, all I cared about was being with Rose. Well, Rose and blood, of course."

"Carlisle's right," Edward said. "Rose will want this baby, Emmett. You remember how she was when Bella was pregnant. Had she not survived, Rose would have taken on the responsibility of mothering Renesmée."

"Not to mention she would have taken Ever, too, if not for her being so attached to Jennifer," Jacob added.

"I know, I know," Emmett moaned, sitting forward and dropping his head into his hands. "Oh, God, this isn't happening."

"Unfortunately it _is_ happening," Embry snapped angrily, causing Emmett's head to lift sharply. "Whether any of us wants it to or not, and I sure as hell don't. Cailin doesn't either, but she's showing the most incredible bravery by going through with this nonsense. Have some fucking sympathy for someone who's actually suffering, why don't you?"

"Embry, that was uncalled for," Jacob said firmly. "Emmett wasn't making light of Cailin's situation, he's just in shock."

As he turned his angry glare onto his Alpha, Embry could feel Jasper using his ability now; he could feel his ire abating without any desire of his own. Instead of lashing out at Jacob, he turned his fury onto the vampire. "And that's enough of that!" he spat, rising from his seat to face him. "I've got every damn right in the world to be pissed off, bloodsucker."

"Indeed," Jasper conceded calmly. "But not at Emmett."

Jacob got to his feet as well. "Embry, calm down."

Embry whipped around, fully prepared to argue, but found that he could not. Whether by accident or design, he suddenly felt a powerful wave of energy emanating from Jacob, and immediately dropped his eyes. It wasn't quite the same as receiving a command in the Alpha voice - which he knew Jacob disliked using anyway - but it felt close enough to it that he could not bring himself to speak in anger to him. Had he not believed Jacob and Sam before when they said Jacob was now the sole Alpha, that energy surely would have convinced him they were telling the truth.

And then suddenly, his anger did deflate of its own accord, and he dropped down onto the couch in a position mirroring the one Emmett had adopted just moments ago. "I'm sorry," he muttered. "I'm just so pissed at that bastard who did this to Cailin, and so fucking scared that I'm going to lose her. I can't…I can't lose her. Imprint or not, I love her. She is my entire world and I _cannot_ live without her."

The next thing he knew, Carlisle was crouching in front of him. "Embry, I truly believe that planning the birth increases Cailin's chances of survival exponentially. She will be carefully tended by a member of the family at all hours of the day, and you, of course, are more than welcome to stay with her and tend to her yourself if you wish. I promise you that I will do everything in my power to keep her alive."

Embry lowered his hands and looked into Carlisle's golden eyes…and he believed him.

* * *

><p>Seattle had so many great malls it was hard to choose just one to visit.<p>

So, naturally, they had to visit more than one.

Rose and Bella grumbled about leaving the Northgate Mall just to go to the Alderwood Mall, but Alice knew they weren't serious. After all, shopping was so much fun! It didn't matter that they'd already spent nearly two hours at the Northgate - Alice could spend every hour of every day in a mall. And Nessie, bless her, was having a blast trying on new outfits. She was such a beautiful child that everyone in the store within eyesight would stop what they were doing just to admire her - even Bella couldn't blame them.

Esme was just pulling the Mercedes into a choice parking spot at Alderwood Mall, which was actually in Lynwood, when Alice gasped - she suddenly saw a picture of Emmett, smiling and holding a…was that a _baby_?

"Alice, you alright?" Bella said from the other side of the back seat. "What did you see?"

Alice shook her head to clear it, but the image of Emmett smiling down at the baby in his arms wouldn't dislodge itself. Noticing that both Esme and Rosalie were now looking at her with curious expressions, she smiled. "It's very strange. I saw Emmett holding a baby."

Rosalie's dark blonde eyebrows winged up. "Emmett? Holding a baby? Are you serious?"

"He was smiling, Rose. I think he was really happy, and it has something to do with that baby," Alice replied.

"Do you think we should go home?" Bella asked, and Alice had to fight to keep from grimacing at her hopeful tone.

"We have cell phones for a reason, Bella," Alice chided her, pulling her own out of her purse - which began to ring as soon as it was clear.

"And I thought I was the fortune-teller," she joked. "It's Jasper. Hello stranger," she answered the call with a grin.

"Alice, love," Jasper replied smoothly, a hint of his Texas twang evident even in those two little words. "Having fun torturing Bella?"

"Shopping is _not_ torture, Jasper Whitlock!" she retorted, which only earned her a chuckle. Ignoring his mirth, she asked, "I suppose you're calling me about this vision I just had of Emmett holding a baby?"

"Interesting," Jasper drawled. "But yes, in a way I am. I think you've had your fun, love - time to come home. There's…a lot we need to talk about. The whole family."

Though bummed to have their shopping trip so abruptly ended, Alice could not help being intrigued as to what the vision was all about. "Alright, if you insist. But this had better be good or I'm going to be so upset I might have to get you fitted for some new suits."

While she did not believe shopping was torture in the slightest, the men in her family - and Jasper in particular - always treated it as such. She knew that the thinly veiled threat was likely unnecessary, because her husband wouldn't be calling her home if it wasn't important... but she so enjoyed the reaction it never failed to engender.

"Believe me, darlin,' this is good," Jasper said quickly. "You saw Emmett holding a baby, didn't you?"

"Yeah, what is that all about, anyway?" she asked. "I know you know something."

"I do, Alice, but really - just come on home. We'll all talk then."

Alice narrowed her eyes. "Fine, keep it to yourself. See you later, Jazz."

"Later, love."

Grumbling as she hit the End button and dropped the phone back into her purse, Alice looked up at four expectant faces. "You get your wish, we're going home."

"I can't believe Jasper wouldn't tell you anything," Rosalie said as Esme restarted the car. "He's usually so eager to please you."

"Perhaps the vision of Emmett is related to the vision Alice had earlier, when Carlisle's future went blurry," Bella suggested as Esme skillfully backed out of the parking space and headed out of the lot.

"I don't see how, really," Esme countered. "Unless…"

Alice could see her eyes glancing at Rose in the rearview mirror. "What are you thinking, Esme?" she asked her.

"I…I don't think I should say," Esme said carefully. "Let's just get home, okay? Carlisle and Jasper will explain everything then."


	3. Normal in the Madness

**3. Normal in the Madness**

Rosalie was out of the car before it had come to a complete stop.

On the drive back to Forks she had worked herself into such a knot of mixed worry and curiosity that she could only think of seeing Emmett's face. While she knew from the content of Alice's vision that he was alright physically, only seeing for herself would reassure her. Then perhaps she'd be calm enough to listen to whatever the explanation was of why Alice would see Emmett holding a baby - that had to be one of the strangest visions Alice had ever had.

Rose stopped up short upon entering the house and seeing (and smelling) not only Jacob, but Embry Call as well. He was just escorting his girlfriend into the living room where Jacob, Carlisle, Edward, Emmett and Jasper were gathered. The other ladies filed in behind her, Renesmée immediately jumping into her father's arms for a kiss before hopping down to sit in Jacob's lap on the couch. Embry led Cailin to the couch as well, where the two sat with her in the middle between him and Jacob, his arm draped lovingly around her shoulders. While Rose could never begin to understand the imprinting nonsense, even she could clearly see that it made the shapeshifters calmer and happier, and far less temperamental, than they were without it.

Unless their mates were threatened, that is. It was one of the only things vampires had in common with the smelly beasts, that unadulterated fury that would erupt when the one they loved the most was in harm's way.

Although now that she was looking, Embry didn't look very happy at the moment. Neither did Cailin, for that matter.

Emmett stood from the armchair he was sitting in and stepped up to her side as Esme, Bella, and Alice moved to stand beside their husbands. "Babe, why don't you come sit down," Emmett said softly.

She looked at him and saw a mixture of emotions in his eyes that she couldn't quite decipher. "Emmett, what's going on?"

"Rosie, please," he pleaded, taking her hand and leading he to the chair he'd just vacated, which he gently pushed her into. Well, gently for Emmett.

But now she was really beginning to worry, no matter what Alice had seen. Emmett only called her Rosie when _he_ was worried, usually about how she was going to react to something.

Carlisle glanced at Esme and then stepped forward. "Now that you're here, I can tell you what happened while you were gone," he began slowly. His eyes fell on Cailin, who sat trembling slightly under Embry's arm. She looked up at him, her eyes wider than normal, and Rosalie saw her tilt her head forward just one time before her gaze switched to Embry. The shapeshifter leaned forward to kiss her forehead as Carlisle continued.

"We all know of the unspeakable horror Cailin was forced to endure while she was held captive those few hours by Joham," he said. "And for the last week, those who care for her have worried that she was carrying another of his children. We worried for her safety and well-being for good reason."

Esme gasped as several pairs of eyes fell on the Irishwoman, who appeared suddenly to find some buried source of strength, for she lifted her head and met their gazes head on. Embry glanced at Jasper, whom Rosalie saw out of the corner of her eye giving an almost imperceptible nod at the shifter's silent query. Embry's eyes flashed his gratitude.

"Cailin will be staying with us until the time of her delivery," Carlisle continued. "I have a viable plan in place for delivering the child safely and ensuring that Cailin remains human afterward. It is not without its risks, but it is the best hope we have of saving her. Having learned from our previous experience we've actually set the date for the birth, which should allow us to perform the operation under more controllable circumstances than last time."

At last, Rosalie found her voice. "What if, goodness' forbid, something goes wrong? You're not going to change her, are you?"

Carlisle's face was grave as he looked first to Cailin and Embry, and then back to her. "No. Cailin has declared her intention to remain human even if it means her death, and I will not turn another person without their consent. I have enough lives on my conscience as it is."

Guilt flooded her system then and Rosalie dropped her eyes. Of all the members of the family that Carlisle had changed, she and Edward had been the most vocal about wishing they'd never been saved. Edward believed that he'd lost his soul and any chance he may have had of getting into Heaven, and she had been forced to live with the fact that she would never bear her own children or become a grandmother.

"Rosalie."

The blonde vampire looked up at the sound of Cailin's voice. "Yes?"

"I've been told how much you wish you could be human again so that you could have children of your own," Cailin said. "I understand that desire, and while it won't be the same as having one of your own flesh and blood, I have been wondering - hoping - you might find a place in your heart and your life for this baby."

Rosalie felt her eyes go wide, her hand instinctively searching for Emmett's to hold. He was right beside her, holding her as the truth sank in: the reason Alice had seen him holding a baby was because Cailin was giving them one. All she had to do was say yes.

"I can't do it meself," Cailin went on. "After all, I'm not meant to live forever, and it most likely will. And the truth is, as blameless as this baby may be, I simply cannot bring meself to be its mother. I'm trying so bloody hard to forget what that monster did to me, and seeing this child every day would only be a reminder of that horrible night. I think only someone who wishes for children as desperately as you can love him or her as they deserve to be loved."

For a long moment, all she could do was stare at the girl, waiting for her to suddenly laugh and say, "April Fool's!" Such a devastating declaration was not forthcoming, however, and slowly Rosalie raised her eyes to look at Emmett's face. He looked like he was in shock, but when he looked down at her, he said, "I don't care what Alice says she saw. Don't do it because her vision says that's what's gonna happen. Do it because it's what _you_ want to happen. It's up to you, babe. I'll support whatever decision you make."

"She said you were happy," Rosalie heard herself say. "You were smiling and you were holding a baby… Emmett, what do you want to do? What should I do?"

Dropping to his knees in front of her, Emmett took her hands in his. "Rose, all I've ever wanted was to make you happy - for you to _be_ happy. I know how much you wish you could be a mom, so if you want to do this, then do it."

"But will you do it with me? I need you to want this too, Emmett," she replied. "I can't believe I'm about to say this, but no matter how much I want to do this, it won't mean anything unless I have you to raise this baby with me."

Suddenly Emmett's trademark cocky grin appeared, and his golden eyes twinkled as he said, "Babe, how many times do I gotta tell you? You're stuck with me forever."

At those words, Rosalie smiled hugely, then leaned forward and kissed her giant of a husband hard on the lips. When she broke the kiss, she nudged him aside and stood, then took a step and dropped down to her knees in front of Cailin.

"I think that you love this baby too, in your own way," she said softly. "Only a mother's love is strong enough to know when she can't give her child what it needs. You love it enough to let it go, and in so doing you are giving me the most precious of gifts. No matter how long I live, I will never be able to thank you enough - you're giving me the other half of my happy ending."

* * *

><p>When he and Shalayne had walked away from the pack to be alone, Mason had ached so desperately to take her hand, but something told him he would be wise to play it safe. So he stuffed his hands in the pockets of his shorts lest they betray him.<p>

For a long time they were silent, and it gave him time to think. Despite the unfortunate triangle caused by Sam imprinting on Emily while he was dating Leah, and how much it had troubled Sam to be the cause of Leah's pain, he saw how happy being with Emily had made him. He saw how happy Jared was with Kim, and Paul was with Rachel - how happy all the guys who had imprinted were. Even the guys who'd imprinted on kids, his brother among them, were more content and peaceful than they'd ever been. He saw how happy imprinting had finally made Leah.

He saw all this happiness, and he was filled to bursting with envy.

Transforming into a werewolf at sixteen had been plenty bad enough. Like some of the others, he'd felt like a freak of nature until he learned to accept what he was. And in the end, yeah, being able to turn into a giant wolf was pretty cool. He also accepted without qualm the responsibility that came with it, of protecting his family, his tribe, and the surrounding community from vampires. He was a dangerous creature born to destroy other dangerous creatures… But how was a guy who turned into a horse-sized dog supposed to find a girl who could accept that about him?

He had posed the question not long after his transformation (he had phased the first time just a week before Mikah, a small surprise given that Mikah was five minutes older; now Mikah was the "older brother" and he was the "older wolf"), and that's when imprinting had been explained to him. Sam told him what the Elders had said the histories told them about imprinting: that it was the magic in their blood telling them "This person is your other half. She will complete you." Okay, fine, that was all well and good, but _when_ was it going to happen? Mikah had imprinted on little Ayana Trimble a whole three freakin' days after he had first phased. _Three days_. And here he'd been waiting two years - poor Leah had been forced to wait three years (four if you counted from the time Sam had left her). Where was the fairness in that?

Though he'd heard about Leland, Leah's bondmate, having a younger sister through the reservation grapevine, he hadn't given her a whole lot of thought until she came to town for Old Ray Whistler's funeral. And then he, like every other guy in the pack who hadn't imprinted, had sought her out, hoping she was the one for him. Mason didn't think he could describe the disappointment he'd felt when nothing happened the day Seth introduced them, though he was also secretly pleased none of the others had imprinted on Shalayne, either. He was glad because she was so gorgeous, and they were all slobbering dogs. She was so pretty and so smart, from what Seth said anyway, that he considered asking her out and trying for a normal relationship with her. Maybe it wouldn't work out between them - which would suck, yeah, but at least then he wouldn't break her heart if he ever did imprint. Frankly, he was getting tired of putting his life on hold waiting for it to happen. He was eighteen years old, and it was time to start living. He was willing to take the risk if it meant he was happy in the meantime.

Of course, by the time he'd built up enough nerve to ask her out, all hell had broken loose. Sierra's body had been found in a Dumpster in Seattle, murdered by a filthy bloodsucker. Then the next day Cailin had been kidnapped off the rez right out from under Henry's nose. He'd spent the rest of that day with his pack tracking the leech's scent, and had been nearly as tweaked as Embry when they couldn't trace it past the Hoh River. Then Leah had to go and be foolishly brave, trying to save Cailin all on her own - though she'd actually taken Collin with her, and the bloodsuckers had killed him too.

Then Seth Clearwater had imprinted. And a week later, right in front of his very eyes, so did Alex Emerson.

After those two red-eyed bloodsuckers had come and gone, he'd gone home yesterday afternoon from the Cullens' feeling excessively depressed - and it was all he could do not to think about it during his patrol. The only real bright side to yesterday, as far as he could see, was Shalayne becoming a wolf. It was a little strange that it only took two weeks of being in town, but it was beyond awesome that the pack had another sister who was truly a sister - a wolf like they were. And that bear-girl, Aitana? _That_ was some crazy shit too. He was fascinated by that, sure, but his attention, admittedly, had mostly been on Shalayne, even after her friend had morphed from bear to bare-naked girl. He'd been stunned by the pure white color of her fur, as though she were a spirit among them.

Despite being curious as to why Jake and Sam had called a meeting of both packs, he hadn't really wanted to be there. He'd been planning on going to Whistler Cottage to see if Shalayne had wanted to hang out. But Mikah had dragged him over to the Trimble house to pick up Ayana (how the Elders had convinced her parents it was okay for a guy twice her age to spend time with her he was at a loss to figure out) and then head down to the beach for the meeting. He'd sat there, his mind not really listening to the chatter around him, until Sam had asked everyone to settle down, emphasized by Paul's shout and Rachel's smack on his arm. He had been admittedly intrigued to learn that Sam was not only stepping down as Alpha of his pack, but planning on retirement as well, and his reasons made sense. Jacob announcing that he was truly the Alpha, having embraced the entirety of the Alpha authority, was something no one could have missed - it was like, all he had to do was speak, and you could _feel_ it. Even if he hadn't been before, Jacob Black was definitely now a man you knew you should both respect and fear. Theoretically, even the Elders would have to listen to him.

And of course, when Jennifer, Ever, and Shalayne had appeared in the distance, his eyes had been drawn to them like everyone else's. But more than that, they were drawn to Shalayne in particular. He found himself wishing almost desperately that she would look at him, yet he couldn't figure out why. And when Jacob had blocked her from view, when he had hugged her, it was all he could do to keep from growling in anger. Mikah had looked at him funny then, and he realized that he must've made some kind of noise or motion, so he'd forced himself to sit absolutely still, though his eyes never left the spot where he knew she was. He could almost feel her there, could swear the soft jasmine scent he was suddenly detecting was her shampoo or her perfume.

Then they were all coming closer, and as Jacob moved aside, Shalayne looked slowly over the group until her eyes met his, locking onto his gaze even as she dropped to her knees in the sand. Mason had felt the air leave his lungs, all sounds of chatter around him silence - there was only her, and he was in front of her as fast as lightening. He really had felt suddenly like she was all he could ever want in the world, and he realized in that instant that he had, at long last, gotten what he'd been wishing for.

A fierce, glorious pride had flashed through his veins when she described her own feelings, which told everyone there that she had imprinted too. He couldn't believe his marvelous fortune, that the girl he'd been crushing on the last two weeks was not only his predestined mate, but that he was hers. Whatever crazy happenstance that had led to this two-way bond of theirs would have his eternal thanks as soon as he had time to give it.

His bubble of elation was almost burst when Shalayne said she didn't want to jump into a relationship with someone she barely knew, but he realized just as quickly that it didn't mean they weren't going to be together. It just meant that she needed time to get used to the idea. And he was okay with that, was okay with taking things slow, because in truth he didn't really know her, either. In a way, it would almost be like his plan to have a normal relationship with her, except now they knew they were _meant_ to be together. This was a relationship that would last.

"Earth to Mason."

Blinking, he looked down at her, a brilliant smile coming to his face at the mere sight of her exquisite features. "Sorry," he said sheepishly. "I've just been thinking."

"Funny. I just asked you what you were thinking about," Shalayne replied.

His arm itched with the urge to throw it across her shoulders, but he ignored it. "About us," he replied honestly.

"Oh."

Mason fought the disappointment he felt when she said that, turning her gaze out straight ahead of her. "Well, truth is, it was more about me, but yeah, a little about us too," he told her.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

He gaze fell on the ocean waves to his left. "Well, about how when I first turned I hadn't the faintest clue how I was ever gonna get a girl being a werewolf. Then Sam and the others explained imprinting to me, and I couldn't help thinking how cool it would be to imprint. I mean, at least then you'd know you were with the right person, and you wouldn't have to go through a bunch of bad relationships before finding somebody."

Shalayne chuckled slightly. "I suppose that makes sense. Of course, Tony's not going to be too happy."

Mason's head whipped around. "Who's Tony?"

She shrugged. "This guy I've been seeing off and on. It's nothing serious, but then I've not been thinking of settling down with anyone anytime soon. I mean, for Pete's sake, I'm only seventeen," she said. "Of course, Tony woulda been disappointed even if I hadn't met you. Only thing I'm going back to South Dakota for is my car. Well, that and all my clothes and stuff, of course."

His heart hammered at this news. "You're gonna move down here?" he asked, praying that his voice didn't sound as ridiculously hopeful to her as it did to him.

"Kinda have to," Shalayne replied. "Lee's my legal guardian and I won't be eighteen until January. He's moving down here to be with Leah, so I really don't have much choice. Of course, I could probably stay with Branson and Aitana, but I'd feel bad about leaving my brother alone down here, even if it would be just for a year. My mother's cousins and such in Alaska notwithstanding, we're literally the only family the other one has. I can't abandon him now."

She sighed then. "Plus, Aitana's a freaking bear and she never told me. I mean, yeah, I get that some things definitely need to be kept secret, but we're best friends - practically sisters. She coulda told me. I would have kept her secret. I mighta been freaked out at first, yeah, but I wouldn't have told anyone. But now I'm a skinwalker too, so I guess I get why she didn't. And even if she is a shapeshifter, and a bunch of the other girls up there apparently are too, I'd feel out of place being a wolf among bears. It'd just be weird. And then there's the fact that my best friend wanted to kill my brother's girlfriend."

"Yeah, I remember," Mason said quietly.

"Aitana's slowly getting over the fact that she's never gonna have Lee, and I'm not saying we're not still sisters, because we are," she went on. "It's just kinda weird with her right now. Branson's going to be taking her home in the next couple days, and in a few weeks Lee and I will go up there to pack up the house and bring our things down here. Hopefully between the time she leaves and the next time I see her, things will be back to normal. Or as close to normal as they'll ever get considering we're both skinwalkers."

Mason watched out of the corner of his eye as Shalayne drew in a breath and released it in a huff. "So anyway, you said you were thinking about you and us. You told me about how you wanted to imprint like the other guys because dating would be so much easier. What was the 'us' part?"

He looked down at her. "I was interested in you before we imprinted," he confessed. "Truth is, I've been waiting so long to imprint that I was disappointed I _didn't_ imprint on you when we first met. Then I decided that I was tired of putting my life on hold waiting for it to happen. I was gonna ask you out and see if I could have a normal relationship with a normal girl, but I never got the chance. So much shit's happened since then. But I was gonna do it today. That was my plan, anyway."

For a moment she said nothing, then queried, "You really liked me before this happened?"

Mason nodded. "Yeah. Just ask any of the guys, I bet they would be more than happy to tell you - especially my brother. Mikah never misses an opportunity to rub something in my face."

"Why did you like me? We barely know each other."

He stopped and turned to her. "Shalayne, have you looked in a mirror lately? I mean, seriously girl, you are smokin' hot. Seth says you're the smartest girl he knows next to his sister, and I can already tell you're very kind and generous."

She lifted an eyebrow as she crossed her arms over her chest. "And how do you know that?"

"The night of your grandfather's wake, you agreed to Kim and Jared getting married that night instead of waiting two days for the date they'd chosen."

Shalayne colored slightly, and he smiled at the way her copper cheeks reddened as she looked shyly downward.

"Did I mention you are smokin' hot?" Mason went on. "The few times we got to hang out, all I could do was stare at you. I'm surprised you never caught me. I loved to hear the sound of your laugh, the sound of your voice…"

He shrugged then, and turned to start walking again. Shalayne followed, and after a moment said, "You're some pretty tasty looking eye candy yourself, Mason."

Turning his head sharply to look at her as she gasped and raised her hands to her lips, her cheeks growing crimson, he couldn't help but laugh. "Well, at least we've established we're both incredibly attractive."

Shalayne laughed then as well, and after a few residual giggles she asked him, "Anything else? That you were thinking about, I mean."

Still grinning, he said, "Yeah. I also thought about how I understand where you're coming from, the not knowing each other well and stuff. And it occurred to me that we could still approach this like a normal relationship, simply because we barely know each other. I already know that I like you and want to be with you - I wanted that before the imprint. The pair bond just makes my desire to be with you stronger and more intense. But I'm willing to take things as slow as you want to take them."

Shalayne didn't say anything right away, and he let her think in silence.

"Mason," she began after a moment. "What if… what if I don't want to be with you? I'm not saying I don't, exactly, because you already know I think you're attractive, but what if I don't want my body to dictate who I date or fall in love with?"

This time he needed a moment, a moment to fight the sharp jab of pain caused by her words, and the sudden fear that his whole world was slipping away from him. And then he remembered what else he had been told about imprinting: instinct or not, there was always - at least theoretically - a choice. And while he'd made his choice weeks ago, Shalayne apparently needed more time to make hers. He had to give her that.

Sighing, he replied, "Then I have to respect your wishes, whatever you decide."

Apparently, he hadn't kept the hurt from his voice as he'd believed, as Shalayne stopped him by placing a hand on his arm, and when he looked at her, her beautiful face wore a crestfallen expression. "Mason, I'm really sorry. I don't mean to hurt you. I don't. I have the strongest urge now to beg your forgiveness and do whatever I have to do make you smile again, like it's the most important thing in the world. But the logic center of my brain is screaming at me that this is all too much too soon. My parents have been gone barely two months - my brother and I are orphans. I lost my only remaining grandparent before I ever had the chance to meet him. I just found out yesterday that there are skinwalkers among us. I found out my best friend can turn into a bear, that my brother turns into a giant bird, and that I'm going to be turning into a giant freaking wolf. Leah explained everything to me, even imprinting, and while I understand the concept, the reality of it is… it's too much! It's too much too soon, and I just don't know if I can handle one more thing on my plate right now."

Mason's heart lurched in his chest to see Shalayne so conflicted, and it was purely a reflex that he reached for her. Her eyes widened in shock and at first she froze, before simply melting into his embrace.

"Shalayne, I'm sorry," he whispered against her hair, the scent of jasmine tickling his nose again.

"What have you got to be sorry for?" she mumbled against his chest.

"I keep telling you that I'm cool to go as slow as you want but I still feel like I'm pressuring you, and I don't want you to feel pressured."

Shalayne sighed and pushed back, but didn't yet leave the circle of his arms. "I don't think it's really you. It's me. I'm just feeling so overwhelmed by all these changes in my life, and finding out that soul mates are real and I actually have one is only one of the things tripping me out."

She reached up and toyed with the pull string of his sleeveless hoodie, then looked up at him. "I don't want to hurt your feelings, and I don't want to get your hopes up. I don't want to rush into anything just because some mystical mumbo-jumbo I didn't know existed before yesterday has my body telling me that where I'm at right now is the most perfect place to be. At the same time, I also don't want to ruin a chance at friendship with you, or what could turn out to be something more, something serious. The fact that you are being so nice about it makes me like you even more, but I still… I just don't know what to do."

Suddenly her body started trembling violently, and Mason knew that the emotional overload was triggering a phase. They were on a public beach and a dozen or more sunbathers and swimmers were within eyesight of them, so he did the only thing he could think of - he swept her up off her feet and ran with her to the nearest part of the forest, where inside the cover of the trees he had just enough time to toss her into the air and back away before Shalayne was no longer a girl, and the monstrous white wolf she turned into was landing on her feet before him. Like a shot she was off tearing through the woods, and he had just a moment's hesitation before he phased as well and took off after her.

_Shalayne, can you hear me?_

_ Mason, please leave me alone. _

_ I can't do that right now. I'm sorry, but I can't. You're in unfamiliar territory and you could get lost. Your brother would kill me if I left you alone out here._

He heard no specific thoughts from her for a long moment, just saw flashes of trees and underbrush. Mason knew he was only a second or two behind her, and put on a burst of speed, running hard until they were side-by-side, at which time she slowed her pace. He matched it and decided he would say nothing until she spoke to him.

_Thank you_, she replied to his decision.

_You're welcome_, he said simply.

They trotted along in silence for some time before she suddenly stopped. _Where are we, anyway?_

Mason looked around. _Hmm… Actually, we're not too far from my place, which is on the other side of the reservation from Whistler Cottage_.

_Oh, come on. We can't be that far from my house - the pack meeting was just down the street from our driveway_.

_ Shalayne, you ran quite a way before I caught up with you, and we've been walking a while. From here it would take about twenty minutes to get there on two feet, and ten or less on four_, Mason replied. _But we'd have to cross Main Street, and that's a bit dangerous for us_.

_Because of the cars?_

He chuckled. _Partially. There's also a good chance we could be seen_.

_Oh_, Shalayne thought in a subdued tone. _Sorry_.

_Hey, it's alright. We all went through a period where even the littlest emotional upheaval sent us into a phase_, Mason replied. _And you're right, you've been through a lot of crap in a short amount of time. It's a lot for you to have to take on at once. No one can blame you for being overwhelmed_.

_You're being awfully nice about me practically putting you on hold_, she observed.

_I haven't got a choice_ but _to be nice to you_, he retorted. _The pair bond won't let me be mean - I don't think I could be mean to you if I tried. Not that I want to or anything_.

_The imprinting seriously won't let you be mean to me?_

_Nope. It drives a wolf to make his bondmate happy above all else. There's no room for being negative_.

Mason sensed her incredulity over the link. _So we'd never fight with each other?_ she asked.

He chuckled again. _I didn't say that. I said I couldn't be mean, as in purposely hurtful. We could still argue and accidently say things that hurt each other_.

Shalayne was quiet again, then suddenly dropped to her haunches as she said, _At least that's one thing that hasn't changed. Normal couples do that all the time. Brothers and sisters, friends… I like that there's a little bit of normal in all the madness_.

Mason sat as well, and took this opportunity to study her again in her wolf form. Shalayne really did look incredibly awesome, her snowy white fur a somewhat stark contrast against the greens, browns, yellows and oranges in the forest. He liked that she was so different from the others, most of whom were varying shades of brown or gray. Only Jake, Sam, and Leah really stood out with their red, black, and silver coats. His own fur was a reddish brown a few shades darker than Jacob's russet tone, and was shot through with black along his back, legs, and tail.

_Kind of like a husky_, Shalayne said, surprising him.

Well, duh, of course she'd been listening. Not like she could help it.

_What do you mean?_ he asked her.

Her mental voice was amused as she said, _Your fur. The black pattern reminds me of a Siberian husky, except you're dark red where they're white. And the black isn't very thick, like it would be on a Siberian_.

_Ah_, he replied. _I never thought about it like that before. Of course, I don't often see what I look like this way, unless I use the link to see myself through one of the others' eyes_.

Shalayne cocked her head to the side. _You ever thought of having someone take a picture?_

_Actually… no. The secrecy thing is such a big deal that I've honestly never thought about it. I don't think anyone has_.

His companion's wolfish eyes widened. _Are you serious? Nobody's ever thought about taking a picture?_

_I suppose no one ever thought it was necessary, since we can see what each other looks like through the mental link_, Mason replied.

Shalayne scoffed. _You'd think in today's technological age, the Alphas - well, Alpha now, I guess - would want some kind of record of what each of you looks like as a wolf and as a person. Then if there are ever more wolves in the future, you could show them what each member of the pack before them looked like_.

_You know, that's actually not a bad idea. Perhaps you should suggest it to Jacob_.

She grew shy again. _I don't know. Maybe_, she said, then sighed. _So if we can't cross the street, how am I going to get home? I sure as hell can't change back and walk on two feet in my birthday suit_.

Mason tamped down as fast as he could the sudden surge of lust at the thought of Shalayne naked. When she stood to her feet and backed away, he knew he hadn't been fast enough.

_Shalayne, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to_…

She growled lightly. _Let's just_…_not go there. One step at a time, remember?_

He nodded solemnly. _Yes, ma'am. Absolutely_.

_Now how am I getting home?_

Cocking his head to the side, he thought about it for a moment. _Well, we have a few of options. You come with me to my place and borrow something to wear home. Or we could take a chance crossing Main Street and hope that no one sees us, then go through the woods. Another option would be waiting until nightfall - less chance of being seen, either on Main or the beach_.

_Uh, no. I don't want to wait that long. Can I just borrow some sweats or something? You know where I live so it's not like you won't get them back_.

Mason stood, trying hard not to let her hear the thought that she wouldn't need to give them back, thinking quickly, _Sure thing. Follow me_. He turned then and ran in the direction of home, the sound of her padded feet slapping the ground telling him that Shalayne was following close behind.


	4. Doing the Right Thing

**4. Doing the Right Thing**

Within fifteen minutes, Mason was leading Shalayne into his back yard. Through the link he only saw bits and pieces of her thoughts, and knowing that the wisest course of action he could take was keeping quiet, he simply led her through the woods in silence.

Like so many of the wolves' homes, his family's modest clapboard house was situated near the woods; a convenience, that, because when he or Mikah had destroyed their clothing in the early days, they didn't have to go far across open space before they were indoors. Of course, their mother had eventually had her fill of seeing her teenage sons streaking through the kitchen and had demanded her husband do something about it. So he'd expanded the tool shed (the expansion was really just another prefab shed added to the back of the old one), instructing the boys to leave some clothes out there so they wouldn't have to run into the house naked anymore. Mason led Shalayne to their "clubhouse" - the nickname he and his twin had given the addition - and paused, turning to look at her as he said,

_Give me a moment to change first, then you can go_.

Shalayne merely nodded. Mason turned around and reared up, pressing his front paws to the door and leaning his weight into it, then dropping to the ground as it sprung open a couple inches. Feeling his companion's surprise, he glanced back over his shoulder. _A spring-loaded door was the easiest thing my father could come up with for us to open without having to phase back_, he said simply before nosing the door open further and slipping inside. Within two minutes he had stepped out again in a pair of cut-off jeans and an old pocket tee, and was holding the door open for her so she could go inside. Letting it fall shut behind her (it wouldn't latch unless pulled shut from inside or pressed shut from the outside), he took a few steps around the side to wait.

After five minutes without her return, Mason frowned, then stepped back around the shed and leaned close to the door. "Shalayne? Are you okay?"

A low, wolfish whine was the only reply he got, and his frown deepened further as he carefully eased the door open and peered inside the dimly lit shed. Shalayne was still in wolf form sitting with her back to the door, staring up at the shelf where he and Mikah had left various shirts, shorts, and pants. She turned to him as he slowly stepped inside, and he saw a forlorn look in her dark eyes that made his heart melt.

"Having trouble changing back, huh?" he asked softly, and she whined again. Mason stepped closer and dropped to one knee beside her, cautiously lifting a hand to her shoulder. He noted that her fur was soft and silky, like her hair. "It's okay, most of us went through the same thing. It isn't always easy to change back and forth in the beginning. You've probably been told this already, but it helps to concentrate on what it feels like to change - the pounding of your heart, the rush of fire in your veins, the way your muscles tremble. That helps."

Shalayne huffed and looked away. Mason stood slowly. "I'll be outside waiting," he said, then stepped out once more to give her privacy. This time he leaned against the shed as the minutes passed, his thoughts wandering between marveling at the fact that he'd finally imprinted, to worrying whether or not Shalayne might be the first person to reject hers. He couldn't help hoping that she would choose to be with him, whether it was because the pair-bond told her she was supposed to be or because she decided herself that he was who she wanted to be with. All Mason knew was that he wanted her to choose him - he didn't care which line of reasoning led her to make that decision.

After another five minutes or so, Shalayne finally stepped around the side of the shed. He couldn't help grinning at the sight of her on one of his dad's old UWash t-shirts and a pair of his own sweatpants. The length of the drawstring hanging from her waist told him just how much bigger his waist was than hers, and the way the cuffs bunched around her ankles were evidence of how much taller he was.

"Thanks, uh, for letting me borrow your clothes," she said shyly. "I'll get them back to you."

Mason shrugged. "Don't worry about it, there's no rush. Let's get you home."

He started off toward the front of his house and Shalayne followed. At first there was only silence, until she surprised him by asking, "How tall are you?"

"Six-four," he replied. "So's Mikah. How tall are you? About five-eight?"

"Five-nine, actually," Shalayne replied.

Mason chuckled lightly. With her height and her looks - and that mag body - he was surprised she wasn't a model. "My mistake," he said.

They reached the road and he started back in the direction of First Beach Road before she asked another question. "When is your birthday? Sam mentioned you'd been phasing for two years."

"I turned eighteen on April 1st. Actually phased the first time on my sixteenth birthday - that was no April Fool's joke, even though I wished it was at the time."

Shalayne surprised him again by suddenly giggling. He looked down at her with his eyebrow raised. "What?"

"I'm sorry, I know it's silly," she replied between fits of giggles. "But you're a twin born on April 1st. I don't know why, but it made me think of the Weasley twins in the Harry Potter books. They were born on April Fool's Day, too."

Mason grinned. "Yeah, I know. I never got into the whole phenomenon like a lot of people did, but I admit I have read the books, and I remember thinking it was cool when they first came out that Fred and George had the same birthday as Mikah and I did."

"Do you like being a twin?"

"Most of the time," he said honestly. "I mean, Mikah gets me more than anyone else does. I get him more than anyone else does, at least I used to. We liked that we had a 'twin thing,' a special bond that was different than your regular sibling bond. Can't really describe how it's different, it just is. I don't even mind that we get called the Wonder Twins even though one of them was a girl. Leah started that, and it caught on with everyone."

Mason sighed. "But I never liked that people compared us just because we look the same: I should be more outgoing. He shouldn't be so wound up. People always mistakenly think twins' personalities are going to be the same, and sometimes that's true, but other than our outsides being identical we're as different as non-twins. I hated that people didn't get that."

"Why would people say you should be more outgoing? You don't seem the reclusive type," Shalayne observed.

"I'm not, really, but I was always more focused on school than Mikah. I wanted the good grades and academic achievement awards and shit like that. Mikah was more interested in sports and girls - not that I didn't like sports and girls myself, because I did. They just weren't a priority for me."

"And the part about how you used to get him more than other people?"

He glanced sideways at her. "Finding out we were shapeshifters had a different effect on each of us. I was so freaked out about the supernatural stuff that I wanted to tell him everything - he's my twin brother and best friend, after all - because I figured he could help me get used to it just by listening to me rant when I needed to. But I couldn't. He hadn't phased and we honestly didn't know if it was gonna be both of us or just one of us, and Mikah wasn't allowed to know anything unless he became a wolf too. I was kinda distant and avoided him most of that first week, because I was afraid if I spent too much time around him I'd spill and Jake would be pissed. He hadn't ordered me not to tell, but he did say we weren't allowed to tell anyone except our parents and our imprints, and some of the guys didn't even tell their moms and dads that aren't on the tribal council, preferring to keep the secret intact and all that.

"Mikah knew I was hiding something from him and he didn't like it. I didn't like hiding it from him either, so it was a relief of sorts when he phased a week later. I could tell him everything finally, and help show him the ropes even though I was still learning them myself. And just when it looked like everything was cool between us again - he forgave me for not telling him even though he swore he'd have kept the secret - Mikah imprinted on Ayana Trimble. _Three days_ after he phased, he imprinted. It was weird that he imprinted on a kid, but they told us it was natural - the magic wouldn't have chosen her for him if they weren't meant to be together, or some such. Mikah didn't care anyway, he just suddenly loved being around this little girl he didn't even know that well, except by name. She was all he cared about, except being a wolf."

Mason lifted a hand and ran it through his spiky hair, making it stick out in all directions. "It sounds so juvenile when I think about it now, but I was jealous. Jealous of a little seven-year-old kid because she suddenly had all my brother's attention. When we weren't in school or patrolling, he was with her. I wanted so much to imprint myself so I could understand why he was so intense about her. We're still pretty close, but…over the last two years, Mikah and I have kind of drifted apart. It makes me sad that we're not as close as we used to be. Used to be we would tell each other everything, could talk about anything. But not anymore. I admit I got tired of hearing about imprinting and Ayana and all that shit all the time - I got enough of it as a wolf, being that we can't escape each other's thoughts when we're animals."

They walked in silence for a moment, and he noticed out of the corner of his eye that she was holding herself with one arm and had the other up to her mouth, chewing on her thumbnail. What he could see of Shalayne's expression told him that she was going over everything he'd just said in her mind, and Mason realized then that she might misinterpret his reasons for confessing those things.

"Shalayne, I didn't tell you any of that to lay a guilt trip on you or anything," he began. "I just…wanted you to know a little about me, I guess."

"You said earlier that you were looking forward to imprinting, because at least then you would know you were with the right girl," Shalayne said.

Mason nodded.

"But Mason, what if I'm not the right girl for you?" she pressed. "I mean, I imprinted too - I know I did even though I've barely been a wolf for a day. And I have this…this feeling, or whatever, inside me telling me that you're perfect for me. I've seen the other couples together - Leah told me who had imprinted and who had not during my lesson this morning - and even though I didn't know about pair-bonding before yesterday, looking back on what I've seen, I can see how it makes the two people so happy.

"But I'm questioning everything I'm feeling and everything you're feeling. If I'm so perfect for you, why am I so scared of this? Why am I so afraid to let you in?"

Mason stopped and took her shoulders gently in his hands, turning her to face him. "Shalayne…I don't know," he said softly. "I can only guess that maybe you're scared of getting hurt, of losing someone else you care about. You lost the two most important people in the world to you, and a grandfather you never got to meet. You found out your best friend was keeping a huge secret from you and her actions yesterday appear to be making you feel like maybe you didn't know her as well as you thought.

"And of course there's the fact that you're still so new to all this supernatural stuff. You've had a shit-ton of information thrown at you in just the last day alone, stuff you're still trying to process. You're still dealing with the loss of your parents and your grandfather and now you have to deal with feeling like a freak, and how you have to learn to control your temper so you don't hurt somebody or inadvertently let the secret out. You've learned vampires are real, and it's like you said - understanding the concept of imprinting is one thing. The reality is something else entirely, and throwing one more thing on the heap of things you're already dealing with probably is asking just a little too much of you. By now I've no doubt you're wondering how much more you can take before you break entirely."

Shalayne chuckled mirthlessly. "That sounds about right," she muttered.

He gently lifted her chin when she turned her eyes downward, wanting her to see the truth of his feelings in his eyes. "I know that you are verging on an emotional overload right now, and I am truly sorry to be adding to your troubles. I really am trying not to make things harder on you. I don't want to contribute to your problems - I want to help make them go away. I was telling you the truth when I said that I liked you before this happened to us. I really hope you can believe that, and take it into consideration when you decide what you want to do about the bond."

Dropping his hand and shoving it in his pocket, he turned and started walking again, and she moved along beside him in silence. They didn't speak again until they'd reached First Beach Road, at which point he knew she could very well find her way back to Whistler Cottage on her own. Mason stopped when they reached the intersection, and she'd gone a few more steps before she realized he wasn't beside her anymore.

"You're not going to walk with me?" she asked.

"Only if you want me to," he replied.

Shalayne stared for a moment, then she nodded. He felt a renewed surge of joy that she still desired his company even though she knew where she was going, a happiness that battered down the resignation he'd felt when he thought she'd want to go on without him.

They started down the road again, each lost in their own thoughts. He began to think they might not say another word to one another until Shalayne said, "Sometimes I wish I wasn't so logical."

Curious, he asked, "Why do you say that?"

"Because I might not question all this," she replied, gesturing between them. "Not that I'd necessarily submit with blind obedience, but maybe if I wasn't so damn clinical I wouldn't be fighting so hard."

"The head and the heart are oft at war," he observed. "Read that in a poem a while back."

"I think truer words were never spoken," Shalayne replied.

Another silence fell between them. Mason had so many things he suddenly wanted to say to her - to reassure her once again of his feelings for her, to remind her that he wouldn't pressure her, that he would go as slow in this relationship as she wanted to - but he realized that doing so would constitute doing the exact opposite, and would in fact add more stress to her already fragile emotions. He wanted to take her into his arms again and tell her that everything would be alright, but she might see that as pressuring her, too. He ached to comfort her and it killed him that he could do nothing of the kind.

When at last they reached the porch of her house, he stayed on the ground while Shalayne started up the steps. She turned to face him when she reached the landing, offering him a weak smile. Mason was not blind to the sudden sheen of tears pooling in her eyes and he very nearly broke his vow of no pressure, wanting nothing more in that moment than to hold her to him and kiss her tears away. He was saved from making a fool of himself when she sniffled and stuck out her chin, shoring up her resolve in an effort not to let the tears fall.

"I meant what I said too, you know," she said, clearly trying very hard to keep her voice even. "I don't want to hurt your feelings, and I don't want to lead you on. You are being so incredibly understanding, Mason, and I cannot tell you how much that means to me. I think you're right, that I'm suffering from an emotional overload, and because of that I can't really think too clearly right now. It's probably best that I don't make a decision either way until my head is free of some of the clutter. Do you think you can give me some time to sort myself out?"

Mason took a breath and nodded. "You can have all the time you need. If it'll help, I'll stay away until you're ready to see me again." Not that it would be easy to keep his word on that, because all he wanted was to be right here. And then there was a chance of them being wolves at the same time, which would mean they'd be in each other's heads whether they liked it or not. He vowed then that should it happen, he'd phase back to human whether he was on duty or not; he had promised to stay away if she wanted him to, and to him that included the mental link.

Though he had expected it, it still stung when she inclined her head, saying, "I would appreciate that. I can see that this is hard on you, and for that I'm sorry. Just know it's not any easier for me."

With that, she turned around and entered the house. Mason stood staring after her for a long moment, then turned and started back down the drive. The perverse thought that Sam was no longer the only wolf to have a fucked-up imprinting flashed through his head, and he immediately regretted it. He shouldn't need to remind himself that Shalayne really _had_ suffered a lot of emotional upheaval the last couple months, so it was hardly fair of him or anyone else to expect her to just fall in line - to "submit with blind obedience," as she had put it.

He suddenly had the urge to phase again and run, just run until he couldn't think anymore. But he didn't want to have to face the prying questions the others would surely ask, and decided he'd keep his thoughts to himself for the time being. Still, he needed to exert some of the pent up stress he now had, so instead of running on four legs he decided to run on two. As soon as he reached the sand of First Beach, he took off and kept on going.

* * *

><p>After the initial announcement had been made to the family and Rosalie and Emmett had accepted Cailin's generous offer, the Cullen ladies took their turn hunting. Rosalie had wanted to stay with Cailin so that she could talk to her some more, but Cailin had insisted she go, saying, "You're going to be a mama soon - best you keep up your strength."<p>

People often described the smooth and supple way Alice moved as dancing, but it was Rosalie who all but waltzed out the back door as she left. Emmett had never seen her so deliriously happy, and that shining smile she'd worn as she promised to be back soon took the edge off of his panic. If Rose was that happy, what did he really have to worry about? It wasn't as if they didn't have an example to look to, or people to go to for parenting advice - Edward and Bella were doing a fantastic job with Renesmée. He supposed that his initial rush of terror was simply due to the fact that he'd never once in all his years thought of being a father. He knew - or had thought - that being a vampire meant he'd never be able to have kids of his own. The fact that Rose couldn't have any had guaranteed he wouldn't, and he was okay with that. He only cared that the angel who had saved him from that bear seventy-four years ago had given her heart to him. Seeing her suffer the pain of being childless all these decades had hurt him deeply - it was the one hurt that he couldn't make go away, and it was his mission in life to see that Rosalie was happy.

After the women and Nessie had left, Jacob whipped out his cell phone and stepped out on the front porch to make some phone calls. Edward announced he would be making up one of the spare bedrooms for Cailin so that Jacob wouldn't have to be kicked out of his. She had at first insisted on helping him put clean linens on the mattress, but he wouldn't hear of it. Esme, he told her with a smile, would never forgive him - or any of them, for that matter - if they made their guest dress her own bed. She'd smiled and nodded and then she and Embry had joined Jacob outside. Carlisle was in the library and Jasper disappeared to his and Alice's room, and so Edward grabbed Emmett's arm to enlist his assistance.

"You can make a bed by yourself, can't you?" he had joked, to which Edward rolled his eyes.

"Emmett, the woman is giving you a child. The least you can do is help me make up a bed for her," his brother admonished.

That stopped Emmett from making another snarky comment, and he obediently followed Edward up the stairs. After pulling sheets, pillows, and pillowcases out of the second floor linen closet, they walked down the hall and opened the door of one of the two rarely-used guest rooms, which had not seen an occupant in more than two years. Edward handed him the bedclothes to hold after switching the light on, walking across the spacious room to a set of floor-to-ceiling glass doors much like the ones in his old room, which Jacob now occupied whenever they were in Forks. He opened them to the slightly humid late-afternoon air so that the atmosphere in the room wouldn't be so stale, then removed the dustcovers from the room's furniture, including the bed.

When that was done, he took the bedding from Emmett, and they each stuffed a pillow into a pillowcase. Setting them aside, they took the fitted sheet and placed it on the bed, then the cover sheet and a light cotton blanket, the latter of which was folded down to the foot of the bed. The task was started and finished so quickly that they didn't even attempt conversation, though as Edward was smoothing out the last of the wrinkles, Emmett found he couldn't stay quiet any longer.

"Edward, am I doing the right thing?" he asked.

Edward met his gaze with a smile. "Emmett, you saw how happy Cailin's offer made Rosalie. One of her greatest disappointments about being a vampire has always been that she cannot have children. You know that. And while adopting this baby isn't quite the same as having a child of her own body, I doubt very much that Rose will love him or her any less than if he or she were. She'll likely never be offered another such opportunity as this one."

"I know," Emmett said with a groan, turning and sitting on the edge of the bed. "I could see in her eyes how much she wanted this, wanted to say yes. There was no way in hell I could crush that hope. And of course I know that by telling her to go for it I was gonna have to do it with her, but… Shit, man, I don't know the first fucking thing about being a dad!"

Edward chuckled as he joined him on the bed. "Do you think I did?" he countered. "We're vampires, Em - we're not even supposed to be able to have children. But by some miracle Bella and I have a beautiful daughter, and to be perfectly honest with you…we've been winging it. Well, Bella had _some_ experience being something of a mother to Renée, whom she says was once quite the scatterbrain. But neither of us had any real, practical experience with actual children."

"You guys are doing a hell of a job raising Nessie," Emmett said honestly. "She's an awesome kid."

"Thank you, but it's not like we haven't had help in that regard," Edward replied. "I'm certain you've heard the saying that it takes a village to raise a child - in our case, we've got this amazing, understanding, and incredibly loving family, which includes you. You've been a wonderful uncle to her, Emmett, and she loves you so very much."

Emmett found himself grinning. "Yeah, I love her too. Sometimes I'm floored by how much."

He sobered then and sighed. "But…what if I'm not any good at this? What if I drop the kid on its head and give it brain damage or something?"

Laughing, Edward clapped him on the shoulder, and he wasn't the only one who found that statement funny; they could hear evidence of Jasper's amusement from down the hall. Emmett silently grumbled that it figured he'd be eavesdropping.

"Emmett, you never once dropped Renesmée, did you?" Edward asked after successfully - for the most part - stifling his laughter. "Besides, given that this baby is part vampire, I somehow doubt you'd do much, if any, damage if you did."

"_It'd probably bounce_," they heard Jasper say.

"Jazz!" Emmett growled, which only made his brother laugh more.

Coughing, ostensibly to keep from laughing anymore, Edward continued. "Look, from what I've read on the subject over the last few years, even the most prepared parents are startled by the reality of _being_ a parent, and they find that they weren't really prepared at all."

"That's real encouraging, bro."

"All I'm saying is that your nervousness is perfectly normal. Rosalie may have wanted children ever since she was human, but I seriously doubt she's actually prepared to be a mother. It'll be a learning experience for both of you."

He sighed lightly, and Emmett noted that his expression had gone quite serious. "To answer your initial question," Edward went on, "yes, I think you are doing the right thing. You love Rosalie and you know how much this means to her - that you are willing to turn your life upside down by adding a child is proof of that. You know that this baby needs and deserves to be loved unconditionally, and you know that Rose - for all her vanity and snarkyness - will give this baby more love than can be measured."

"No offense, but I don't think anyone could love a kid more than Rose. Not when she's wanted 'em so bad."

Edward nodded. "You may well be right," he agreed.

"And Cailin and Rose… they've got something in common, though it sure as hell isn't something anyone would want to have in common with someone else," Emmett continued. "They both got used and abused in the worst way a woman can be. And poor Cailin got knocked up by that sick fuck Joham, which… man, that's gotta be hell on her. I don't know how she can go through with the pregnancy, to be honest, but instead of having an abortion - which nobody would blame her for - she's gonna carry this kid and give it to us."

He turned and looked at Edward with awe in his eyes. "How in the world do I thank her for doing this for Rose?"

Smiling, Edward replied warmly, "I believe you can thank her best by raising her child with your wife, and loving him or her as a father would. Teach this child all that Carlisle has taught you, and someday tell your son or daughter about the woman who gave you this precious gift - about her selflessness and generosity - and how you know that there are no words to express the depths of your gratitude."

* * *

><p>Jacob's phone calls to Leah and Sam caught him up on what had happened with the pack in his absence. Sam reported that Jared had suggested he and Embry practice their new leadership roles, which Jacob agreed was a good idea, except it was going to have to wait - at least for Embry, who had insisted on staying by Cailin's side as much as possible during the next two weeks.<p>

Leah reported that when news of Cailin's condition had been passed through the pack, each of their brothers had expressed outrage and sympathy, and all offered their best wishes that Dr. Cullen really would be able pull off his plan to deliver the baby and keep Cailin's humanity intact. She also reported that Shalayne and Mason weren't exactly speaking to each other, which he'd had to admit was surprising until he heard the reason why - Shalayne's tolerance level for emotional upset had apparently reached its limit. Too many devastating things had happened to her in the last two months, and imprinting on a virtual stranger - being expected to just accept that he was her soul mate - had been more than she could take. Shalayne wasn't necessarily discounting the possibility of a relationship with Mason; she just needed time to work through her already extensive emotional baggage before she could devote any of her time and attention to dealing with him. Mason was giving her the time she had requested by promising to stay away until she was ready to see him again.

"Wow," Embry had said when Jacob closed his phone after the last call had ended. "How the hell is Mason going to manage staying away from her?"

Jacob glanced at him sidelong as he, Embry, and Cailin turned to re-enter the house. "How is Shalayne going to manage staying away from Mason?" he countered. "If she really imprinted too - which I'm not doubting - then it'll be just as hard for her to stay away as it will be for him."

When they had entered the living room once again, Jacob settled in front of the television to watch a movie as he waited for Nessie and the Cullen women to return. Cailin's stomach announced with embarrassing loudness that she was hungry, and Edward, who was just coming down the stairs with Emmett, told her she was welcome to anything she wanted from the kitchen. Thanking him and offering a polite smile, she turned that way and Embry tried to stop her, saying that he would get her something to eat because she needed to take it easy.

Cailin whirled and threw her hand in his face, bringing him to an abrupt halt and surprising them all by spouting a torrent of angry words in an unintelligible language. "_Níl mé fuilteach tSin bálóg cad is gá a láimhseáil le lámhainní leanbh - Tá mé ag iompar clainne, nach bhfuil déanta as poirceallán!_" She then turned back around and continued on her way to the kitchen.

A stunned silence followed in her wake. After a moment of staring after her, Embry blinked. "What the fu... what was that all about?"

"And for that matter, what frickin' language was she speaking?" added Jacob from the couch.

Edward tried valiantly to contain his amusement. "I'm afraid you may be in for more episodes like that one over the next two weeks, Embry. Women experience hormone fluctuations during pregnancy which can take them from one emotional extreme to the other in the span of a split second. And the language, if I'm not mistaken, was Irish Gaelic."

Embry looked at him. "You have any idea what she said?" he asked.

Raising an eyebrow as he pondered that, Edward said at last, "Not entirely - Gaelic, along with Welsh, is one of the most difficult languages to learn. But I have attempted to do so in the past, given our association with Siobhan's coven. Now, my translation may not be precise, but if I understood her correctly she said something about not being a doll you handle with gloves, and that she's pregnant, not made of porcelain."

"I just don't want her to wear herself out or anything," Embry said. "Jake said Bella was really weak and got tired easily before you guys figured out she needed blood."

Edward nodded. "That's true, but she also didn't begin having an issue with fatigue until she was further into her pregnancy than Cailin is, and she appears to be quite well, Embry. I don't think you have anything to worry about."

The shapeshifter moved to drop onto the opposite end of the couch from Jacob. "I know, I just… You're right, she's been having serious mood swings - and that's just in the last few hours. When I first got here she was a wreck, and now she's all 'Leave me alone, I got this.' I'm just worried about her is all. I know this isn't easy for her, going through with this pregnancy. I just don't want anything to happen to her."

The elder of the two vampires came further into the room and sat gracefully in one of the armchairs. "Believe me, Embry, I understand your concern. But right now Cailin appears healthy and strong, and given the human female's proclivity to self-sufficiency - "

Jacob snorted. "You mean stubbornness."

Edward smiled and continued as if he hadn't been interrupted. " - I think you'd be wise to let her be unless she asks for help. If you're truly that concerned for her welfare, perhaps you might consider speaking to Carlisle. I'm certain my father can help allay your fears."

Embry studied him for a moment and then nodded. Rising fluidly to his feet, he trotted up the stairs in search of Carlisle.

Emmett, though interested in the movie Jacob had settled on - _Die Hard_ was one of his favorite action films - felt compelled himself to go and check on Cailin, and walked quietly out of the living room. He found her standing at the island in the kitchen, an array of foods before her including fruits and sandwich meats that had been purchased for Jacob and Nessie to eat. She also had a rather large steak in her hands, and was pulling the plastic wrap off the package as he walked into the kitchen.

"If Embry sent you in here to check on me, Mr. Cullen, you can turn right back around," she said.

"Actually, I came of my own accord, as Edward would put it," Emmett replied, leaning his shoulder against the framed archway and crossing his arms over his massive chest. "I'm kinda curious about what a pregnant woman eats."

"Whatever we bloody well feel like, you can be sure of that," Cailin replied, and then had his eyes going as wide as dinner plates when she started eating the steak raw.

"Um, aren't humans supposed to cook their meat before they eat it?" he asked cautiously.

Cailin swallowed the bite she had taken. "Aye, 'tis how it's usually done," she told him. "But yesterday…"

She looked up at him and blushed, casting her eyes downward again. "You'll think me silly."

Emmett raised an eyebrow. "You're eating raw cow meat. I drink an animal's blood before it's cold. I don't think 'silly' factors in there anywhere."

Chuckling, she nodded. "Very well then. Yesterday, I was opening some ground beef to make supper for me mum and meself, and the smell of it didn't repel me as it usually does. Normally I can't stand the scent of raw meat, but suddenly it didn't seem so unappealing. And then I recalled something we talked about that night we found out what happened to Sierra - Leland had asked if Sierra would need blood, and your _da_ said it was more her child what would have needed it. So I wondered if maybe eating the hamburger raw would help keep me from getting sick, since this baby is part vampire and all. Despite me gag reflex getting a tickle, I managed to get some down and it actually didn't taste too bad, so I figure it's the babe's choice of meal and not mine. This steak smells and tastes even better than the hamburger did."

She lifted it to take another bite and stopped as a fit of giggles suddenly overcame her. "Oh, blimey, that sounded so weird. If someone had told me two weeks ago that I'd be talkin' 'bout eating raw meat like it was nothing, I'd have said they'd gone daft. Now I know I'll have to start drinking blood to keep meself and this wee one healthy… doesn't seem so daft after all."

Shaking her head, she lifted the steak again and bit into it. Emmett watched her in silence, somewhat fascinated, until an odd little noise caught his attention. At first he dismissed it, thinking it was one of the appliances. But once it had caught his attention he couldn't get it out of his head, and so he turned his ear toward it. At first all he heard was the sound of Cailin chewing, and then her heartbeat, and then…

His eyes widened again, causing her to stop in mid-motion as she was raising the last piece of the steak to her lips, which were stained a darker red than normal due to the blood. "What is it - have I made a mess on meself?"

"No," he replied distractedly, moving from his position and walking over to stand next to her. "Hold still."

Cailin froze in place as Emmett placed one hand on her shoulder and hesitantly placed the other over her lower abdomen, his lips slowly curving into a smile.


	5. Isn't it Ironic?

**5. Isn't It Ironic?**

"Doc, can I talk to you?"

Carlisle was seated at his desk. He had retreated to the library and his computer to re-familiarize himself with the plans for delivering Cailin's baby - Rose and Emmett's now - even though every minute detail was readily available for recall in his own brain. It helped calm him to review information multiple times as humans did, and despite the fact that he knew what he was dealing with this time around, the tension that lingered in the air had rattled even his normally unshakable nerves.

Looking up from his notes, he saw that a very subdued Embry stood in the doorway, hands shoved into his pockets. Nodding, he replied, "Of course. Won't you come in?"

Drawing a breath, Embry walked in and dropped heavily onto the end of the sofa that sat along one wall. "What would you like to talk about?" the doctor asked.

Embry seemed to think a moment, a hand lifting to run through his already tousled hair before he looked at him and said, "I've done the math. Cai was…well, this happened to her eight days ago, on the fifth. And you're planning to take the baby on the thirtieth."

"That's correct."

"But that's only twenty-five days! Not that I care that much about the kid, but - "

Carlisle offered him a light smile. "I understand your concern, Embry, but I can assure you that the child will be healthy enough for birth. When Bella was pregnant we calculated she was progressing a week for every day of her gestation, and that she would carry thirty-five to forty days - roughly thirty-five to forty weeks, which is a normal human pregnancy. But she went into early labor on the evening of her twenty-eighth day, and Renesmée was perfectly healthy. I honestly believe that it has a lot to do with her physiology more closely resembling that of shapeshifters than either humans or vampires."

His visitor scoffed. "I remember Jake saying something about that, how she grows so fast like us after we've phased because she has the same number of chromosomes or something."

"That's right," Carlisle confirmed. "And because of that, I believe it's what led to her being more physically developed at that stage than a human child would have been. The reason I've recommended setting a date three days earlier than when Bella gave birth is to minimize, if not eliminate, the risk of an emergency situation such as my son and Jacob were forced to deal with. It's also why I've recommended she stay off her feet as much as possible, at least when we get closer to the date."

"And Cailin? How will this affect her? What's going to happen to her after you take the baby?"

Carlisle sighed. "Well… barring complications or something more unfortunate," he said carefully, "Cailin will recover in a few weeks - physically, at least. Given her adamant refusal to raise the child herself, I think her emotional scars will take much longer to heal. And at risk of giving unwanted advice, son, I believe this is a time when she will need you more than ever. She may try to push you away to spare your feelings, and that's going to hurt you. There may even be times when you'd be wise to give her space, both during the next two weeks and after. What you can do best for her, I believe, is remind her that even when you're not with her physically you're still with her emotionally, and that you are still in this relationship for the long haul."

"And I am," he said fiercely.

Carlisle smiled. "Then be sure to remind her of that - but gently, of course. Her emotions are in a very fragile state right now, and you must be careful how you handle her."

For the first time since his arrival earlier that day, the corners of Embry's mouth twitched, his eyes lighting with mild amusement. "My experience may not be as vast as yours," he said after a moment. "But if I've learned anything in the four months I've known Cailin, and all my experience with girls before that… it's that you _always_ have to be careful how you handle them. Plus, she just yelled at me in Gaelic. Edward said she was telling me she's not made of porcelain."

Carlisle chuckled. "Women are such contradictory creatures," he said softly. "They desire to be cherished even while valuing their independence. Given what I've observed of her over the last few hours, and the reality of her condition, I'm sure she wasn't really angry with you. Women produce certain hormones during pregnancy that they don't produce any other time, so Cailin's body is going through more changes than just providing an environment for the baby to develop in. She has new hormones and an increase in her natural hormone levels, and the fluctuation of these are wont to initiate drastic mood swings. I'm afraid sudden changes in mood may become commonplace over the next several days."

Embry nodded. "That's what Edward told me, too."

After that, a silence fell between them, which Embry broke by asking, "Does she really have to drink blood?"

Regarding the shapeshifter again with a concerned eye, Carlisle said, "Because he or she is part vampire, the child will require blood for proper development, otherwise the health of mother and baby would deteriorate rapidly. It would be extremely unsafe for both Cailin and the baby for her _not_ to have blood, because the fetus will be feeding off of her blood supply - essentially subjecting them both to a slow and torturous demise, because the child will consume her blood faster than Cailin's body can replace it. It's something we learned through trial and error when Bella was carrying Renesmée."

Embry frowned. "Yeah, but does she _have_ to drink it?" he asked. "I mean, it's almost like this kid is making her a bl-a vampire for the next two weeks."

Carlisle quirked an eyebrow. "I hadn't considered it from that angle, but I'd wager you are correct, as the blood will not only maintain the child's health but Cailin's as well - though she will certainly be able to eat normal food along with it. And ingestion, however repulsive you or she may find it, is the quickest method of delivery for getting the blood's nutritional content to both of them. However, I've been giving the matter some thought, and when I begin Cailin's treatment regimen in the morning, I'll suggest trying transfusion instead. If that works, she won't have to consume the blood."

Embry looked immeasurably relieved by that, and Carlisle could tell he was hopeful that transfusion would work. He had to give the boy a lot of credit - he was handling the fact that his girlfriend of four months, his soul mate, had been raped and that she was carrying her abuser's child to term extraordinarily well… even if "term" would amount to just over three weeks. Knowing she'd been traumatized physically and emotionally when he was helpless to prevent it was a heavy blow to Embry's pride, as Carlisle knew that the wolves valued the safety of their mates above all else. He imagined that just destroying Joham in that factory hadn't been quite enough to excise the pent-up rage, but he was maintaining control of himself for Cailin's sake if for no other reason. It was proof positive of a remarkably strong will and self-control that he was putting her emotional well-being above his own.

He just hoped the poor kid didn't self destruct by keeping his own emotions bottled up inside too long.

* * *

><p>Seconds after Emmett had moved to Cailin's side, Jasper appeared in the doorway, having been drawn there by a sudden, sharp spike in his brother's emotions - one strong enough to attract his attention from the floor above.<p>

"Emmett, what are you doing?" he asked carefully, noting that Cailin, though not precisely frightened, was standing stiff and wide-eyed under his hands, her breathing shallow.

Emmett, whose eyes had fallen closed, replied, "Don't you hear it?"

"Hear what?"

Opening his eyes, his brother grinned wider. "I can hear the baby's heartbeat. It's faint but it's there."

"Oi, so that's what you're listening to," Cailin observed breathlessly. "If I understand what's going on with 'im, based on what your _da_'s told me, I'm close to nine weeks pregnant. In a normal pregnancy, that'd be about the time the wee one's heartbeat could be seen on ultrasound, though I'm rather surprised you can already hear it."

"Our hearing, as you may have been told, is far sharper than the human norm," Jasper told her, a curious expression coming over his features as he tuned out the humming noises of the kitchen appliances, her breathing, and the wet, steady pumping of Cailin's own heart. He ignored the faint burn in his throat that listening to her heartbeat created - his tolerance of the scents and sounds of humans had become measurably easier to withstand over the last two years, so it was almost unnoticeable. As he recognized and then shut out each sound in the room, a soft fluttering not unlike the sound of a hummingbird's wings could be heard.

He smiled. "I hear it now. The heart of the child at this early stage appears to be quite strong."

Emmett suddenly moved his hands to cup Cailin's face. "Thank you," he said, then shocked both her and Jasper as he planted a quick kiss on her lips. Standing back he once again flashed his trademark smirk. "Hmm, cow… Not too appetizing - I prefer bear myself."

Whirling, he headed out of the kitchen, saying as he brushed past his older sibling, "I can't wait to tell Rose I heard the baby's heartbeat!"

Jasper placed his hands together behind his back as he turned and looked after him. When he turned back to Cailin, she was throwing an empty package that smelled faintly of cow's blood into the trash. She then turned toward the sink, where she washed her hands before scooping water into her mouth, swishing it around and then spitting it out. Letting the water run long enough to rinse the sink, she turned it off and dried her hands on the towel that hung on the cabinet door beneath, then turned back to the food on the counter and started picking it up and putting it all away.

"I hope Emmett didn't ruin your appetite," Jasper said slowly. "He's…very ebullient, and that is often more than one can handle."

She chuckled lightly. "I'm alright. I was just a might stunned is all," she said. "The steak I just ate appears to be quite enough to satisfy me for now."

After returning the refrigerated items to their place, Cailin turned to him. "I'd appreciate you're not mentioning to Embry the, um, that little peck Emmett gave me. I know it was perfectly platonic, but… Well, he might get the wrong idea."

The blond vampire nodded. "Of course."

Regarding each other in silence for a moment, Cailin nodded, then she started to move past him, turning back to the island as if in afterthought and grabbing an apple from the bowl of fruit Esme kept there. Biting into it as she turned around, Cailin moved past him and headed into the living room. Jasper shook his head and followed, having had enough of being by himself for a while…as well as to keep an eye on Emmett's excitement. It would not do at all for another such display as he had seen to occur within eyesight of Cailin's overprotective and high-strung boyfriend.

In the living room, he noted that Edward, Jacob, and Emmett were watching _Die Hard_. Cailin was glancing around.

"Where's Embry?" she asked.

Edward glanced at her. "He's with my father."

Cailin scoffed. "No doubt asking him the same bloody questions over and over again," she murmured, then took another bite of her apple. "Well, I won't bother him, if it'll help calm him to hear things explained to 'im again. But it does create a bit of a problem at the same time."

"Why's that?" Jacob spoke up.

"Well, I was going to have 'im drive me to my place so I could grab a few things," she said. "If I'm to be staying here next couple of weeks, it'll be easier if I have a few of me own things with me."

"I could drive you," the shapeshifter offered.

Cailin grinned around another mouthful of apple. Swallowing, she said, "Or you could just let me borrow your car. I know how to get to La Push from here."

"With all due respect, I think someone should go with you," Jacob insisted. "Not that I'm saying you're incapable, so please - not another mouthful of that Gaelic stuff. I just mean that Embry won't appreciate us letting you going alone. I know how overprotective he's become and… well, you know what I mean."

She groaned lightly. "Unfortunately. But I don't want to take you away from here, not when your Nessie's due back soon."

Sensing another surge of emotion from Emmett - and not wishing to thrust him upon Cailin again, which could potentially make her uncomfortable around him given the fact he'd kissed her - Jasper stepped forward. "With your permission, Jacob, I'll drive Cailin into La Push."

She turned to him. "You'd do that for me?"

He nodded and offered her a smile. "You are soon to give me another niece, or perhaps a nephew. The least I can do is play the part of chauffer for an evening."

Jacob nodded. "I'll call and let the others know you're coming, so they're not surprised if they smell you," he said, and pulled out his cell phone.

Jasper turned to Cailin. "I'll go and pull the car around."

"Thank you," she said, and he could see that she was trying not to cry.

He nodded and quickly made his exit to the garage, fervently hoping she reigned in her emotions before he returned for her, or he'd have to use his gift on her again. Somehow, Jasper didn't think she'd appreciate that anymore than Emmett's kiss.

* * *

><p>The drive into La Push was quiet for the most part, with Cailin only speaking to thank him again.<p>

"You're quite welcome," Jasper said as he pulled out onto the main road.

"If I may," she added, "I'm sort of glad it were you what offered."

His brow rose in curiosity. "Why is that?"

"You don't speak much. What little time I've spent around you, I've noted you're more of an observer, content to remain silent and focused on what's going on around you," Cailin explained. "That means you won't ask me a lot of inane questions, or go rummaging through my head for the answers without bothering to ask."

Jasper chuckled. "I'm of the mind that if you wish to speak to me about what's going on, you'll do so. If you don't, whatever is going on is likely none of my concern," he said. "Though you may be interested to know that Edward would have been just as safe a driver as I, since he can't read your mind as well as he can others."

"Really now? I thought Bella was the only person whose mind he couldn't read."

"Even Edward's ability is not without its limits. There are some people whose minds are not as clear to him as most everyone else is. For example, yourself and Charlie Swan are a lot like a television or radio with bad reception, or so he has described it. He gets impressions from the tenor of your thoughts, but for the most part doesn't get a clear signal."

"Ah," she said then. "That's good to know."

After that, they rode the rest of the way in a companionable silence, until Jasper reached La Push's main thoroughfare and had to ask for directions to where she lived. Cailin directed him to a two-story apartment complex in the resort area, where she said she and her mother had moved to back in 2003; he noted absently that it was the same year his family had moved to Forks. Her mother was the manager of one of the tourist hotels in La Push, the Covington Inn.

At the door to their second floor apartment, Cailin was about to insert the key when the door flew open and a blonde-haired woman, who was clearly her mother based on their obvious resemblance, threw her arms around the young woman.

"Och, do you have any idea how worried I've been about you?" she demanded, holding her daughter at arms' length. "I know you're of age and all that, love, but the least you could do is pick up a bloody phone and call me when you're not coming home."

Feeling Cailin's embarrassment, Jasper calmed her with a small amount of his influence. She seemed to realize it almost immediately, and her mood shifted to one of gratitude. He thought perhaps this might mean she was less objective to his using it without being asked than most everyone else he knew. It was, at least, something to file away for later consideration.

"I'm sorry, Mum," she said brightly. "But it is summertime and all that."

Her mother grinned. "And you're in love with that boy from the Indian reservation, I know," she said, then seemed to notice Jasper's presence for the first time. "Or are you?"

"Yes, I am," Cailin said, stepping past her mother, glancing over her shoulder to add, "Come on in."

Jasper nodded, keeping a polite smile on his face as he stepped inside the apartment and Cailin turned back. "Mum, this is a friend of mine and Embry's, Jasper Hale. Jasper, this is my mum, Maura McTiernan. Jasper was kind enough to bring me by to pick up a few things since Embry's a bit busy at the moment."

Jasper held out his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am."

Maura shook his hand, though she said with mock sternness, "Oi, I'll have none of that 'ma'am' business from you, laddie. I'm hardly old enough for that yet."

He grinned. "Indeed. Had Cailin not introduced you as her mother, I'd have thought the two of you were sisters."

Both women laughed. "Flattery, my dear boy, will get you everywhere. If you haven't got a lady of your own yet, I imagine you'll have no trouble finding one. You're quite the charmer."

"Alright, enough flirtin,' Mum. Jasper's got 'imself a wife," Cailin admonished softly.

Jasper noted that Cailin's accent was thicker, no doubt influenced by her mother's brogue, which was more noticeable than her own usually was. "I don't mean to rush you, Cailin, but you should be quick about your business. Embry will have wondered where we've gone, you know."

"Oh, yes, of course," she said. "I'll be back in a bit."

She then moved past her mother and started down the hall. The older woman excused herself politely and followed, and he heard her asking, "Where are you going now?"

"I'm actually going to be staying with Jasper and his family in Forks the next couple of weeks," Cailin replied, and he could hear her opening a zipper, then pulling clothing out of drawers. "His sister Rosalie and her husband have adopted a new baby, and I offered to help them out."

'_His sister Rosalie and her husband have adopted a new baby, and I offered to help them out_,' Jasper thought, turning her words over in his head. Not a bad cover, he observed, giving the girl her due credit for thinking of the explanation on the fly. He walked slowly around the small living room taking in the furnishings with mild curiosity as he listened to the sounds of Cailin packing her bag. Maura McTiernan's decorating tastes were really quite simple, and he noted she liked earth tones, mostly browns and greens. He saw many pictures of Cailin and her mother that clearly spanned the last two decades - one was even taken sometime in the last four months as Embry was in it, holding Cailin in his arms with the ocean and a setting sun in the background.

"Well, that's awfully nice of you, but don't you think you'd best be getting ready for next term? It's your last year of college, love," Maura was saying.

He sensed Cailin's hesitation in answering, and felt fairly sure he could guess why: if Carlisle had somehow miscalculated his chances of success, she wouldn't be alive to see her last year of college.

"I am," Cailin said at last. "I've been to the school's website and all, checking out me classes and such. I'm not about to forget all the hard work I've put into earning my degree, you know."

"Well, good. Good," Maura said. "I know you're in love, sweeting, I just don't want you to lose focus."

Jasper heard Cailin loose an exasperated groan; he had the feeling it was not the first time her mother had lectured her about her focus. He was still suppressing a grin when the two ladies returned to the living room, with Cailin carrying a large duffel bag. He stepped forward and held out his hand. "Allow me to carry that for you," he said softly.

Cailin looked at him sharply, and for a moment he thought she might argue, but then she sighed and slid the strap off her shoulder, placing it into his hand. Jasper slung the strap over his own shoulder, nothing that it wasn't really heavy at all, though there was definitely more than clothes in it. Smiling apologetically, he told her, "Forgive me. I know that you are quite capable, but my upbringing forbids me to allow a lady to carry her own luggage."

A knowing smirk came to Cailin's features as a look of surprise came to her mother's. "Is that so?" the younger woman asked.

"Oh, how gentlemanly of you, Jasper," Maura said. "May I ask where you're from?"

"Houston, Texas, ma'am - I mean, Mrs. McTiernan," he replied smoothly.

"Ms. McTiernan, actually, young man," Maura said, then turned to her daughter and drew her into a hug. Cailin hugged her back fiercely. "Alright love, that's tight enough, eh?" her mother joked. Cailin released her and stood back as she added, "By the way - will you be home for your birthday?"

Cailin flicked her eyes to Jasper, then pasted a smile on her face as she looked back at her mother. "Given its three weeks away and I'll only be gone for two, I imagine so. Why do you ask?"

"Well, because your brother's coming to see you."

The sudden shift of Cailin's mood, from mere curiosity to shock, had Jasper watching her closely. Her eyes had widened and her mouth fell open as she stared for a long moment at her mother. "I've not see 'im in years, and suddenly he deigns to come halfway 'round the world from Ireland to see me?" she said. "Awfully bloody odd, you ask me. _Da_'s not coming as well, is he?"

"No, it's just Seamus. But he did say he was bringing Will with him."

Cailin frowned. "I thought Will had stopped speaking to him?" she asked.

Maura waved that off. "Pfft. You know how it is with boys - no offense, young man," she said lightly. "They had a disagreement of some sort or other, took some time apart, and now they're right as rain again. Best friends do that all the time."

Nodding, Cailin turned and made her way to the door, and Jasper followed. Maura walked the few steps with them, asking as her daughter was stepping out, "What is it, anyway?"

Jasper turned to her. "I beg your pardon?"

"I mean the baby your sister and her husband adopted. Is it a boy or girl?"

He offered her a smile. "Actually, we don't know yet. Rose and Emmett arranged a private adoption with a very generous young woman who cannot bring herself to raise her child, and she's not due for another few days. They have decided to wait until the birth to find out the gender."

Cailin's mother smiled at his partial lie. "Oh, that's wonderful. I didn't know what Cailin was until she was born, either - I think it's so nice to wait and see. The surprise makes it all the more special, I say."

"Indeed it does, Ms. McTiernan. And again, it was a pleasure to meet you," Jasper said.

"Alright, Mum, we've got to go," Cailin said, clearly wishing her mother would stop asking questions. "I love you, and I promise to call more often."

"You'd better," her mother admonished lightly. "I know you're old enough to stay with your boyfriend overnight, but I would very much appreciate a phone call letting me know your plans, alright?"

Cailin smiled weakly. "Yes, Mum. I'll be seeing you. Hope to drop in again in the next couple weeks, but don't know if I'll be able to. But again, I promise I will call you."

Maura drew a breath. "Of course I'd hope to see you again - Forks isn't that far away, after all. But I know how a baby keeps one busy soon as they're born, so as long as you call me once in a while, I'll be happy."

Stepping inside to give her mother another quick hug and a kiss on the cheek, Cailin turned and quickly left. With a nod and a soft "Goodbye" of his own, Jasper followed, sending out more calm to Cailin, who he'd sensed was on the verge of crying again. Of course, he knew that this jag would not be full of tears of gratitude, but rather grief. She likely feared that she might not see her mother again.

Back in the parking lot, he opened the passenger door for her, shutting it once she was settled in. He deposited her bag in the back seat and walked around the car, getting into the driver's seat and quickly starting the engine. Within minutes they were on the road back to Forks, and he drove once more in silence. Cailin didn't seem to be in a mood for conversation and that was fine with him, as he didn't know her well enough to ask personal questions. One did, however, suddenly come to mind, and he ventured to ask hoping it would take her mind off her concern - though he understood she feared Carlisle would not be successful in saving her life, he had every confidence in him.

"May I ask a personal query?" he asked softly.

"What's that?" she countered, her eyes not leaving the window she was staring out of.

"Where do you go to school, and what is it you study?"

"Oh," she said then, looking over for a brief moment. "I'm a student at the University of Washington. My major is cultural mythology."

Jasper felt a bemused smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "You study myths and legends?"

"Aye."

He chuckled, and she turned to look at him fully. "Is there something funny about that?" she asked. "It's a very fascinating subject."

"That I do not doubt madam," Jasper replied. "But if you stop and think, it's also quite ironic."

Cailin frowned. "What the devil - _oh_," she began, stopping herself as it dawned on her to what he was referring. "I see now, and cannae believe I haven't thought of it before - a student of cultural mythology becoming involved with actual creatures of myth and legend. I suppose one could find that ironic, but to be honest, I don't know if the irony is sweet or bitter."

Jasper glanced at her, all traces of his amusement gone at her words and the emotion behind them. "I think in your case, my friend, it is a little of both."

* * *

><p>After his exhausting run, Mason spent the rest of the afternoon - and well into the evening - avoiding the members of the pack, though by now they surely knew of his failure. As late as it was when he trudged into his back yard, he knew Shalayne surely would have spoken to Leland, and perhaps Leah as well, the latter of whom would have reported to Jacob. He would have eventually spread it to the rest of the pack.<p>

Detecting Mikah's scent emanating from the house through the open windows of the kitchen, he felt that he just wasn't ready to face anyone, despite how hungry he was. So he took the coward's way out and ducked into the clubhouse. He knew he was technically sulking, not to mention avoiding the inevitable, but he couldn't help himself. He wished he hadn't promised Shalayne he would stay away, even though he knew it was what she needed - he felt so lost right now. Not knowing if things were going to work out in any sort of favorable fashion had set him on edge. He felt restless even though he was physically and emotionally drained. Hunkered down in the dark staring at nothing was how his brother found him half an hour after he'd come home.

After Mikah had switched on one of the battery-powered camping lanterns they kept in the shed, he assumed the same position as Mason (knees drawn up and arms resting atop them), directly across from him.

"You look like shit, bro," he said after he had settled.

"Thank you for that assessment, Mike," Mason replied tonelessly.

"Tell me what happened."

He shook his head. "I don't want to talk about it."

Mikah scoffed. "Dude, you _need_ to talk about it, or you'll drive yourself nuts."

Mason looked at him with a sour expression. "And how the hell would you know? Your imprinting went all hunky-fuckin'-dory. Ayana idolizes you. Shalayne wants nothing to do with me."

"I seriously doubt that," his brother countered. "After all, you have my face, and I'm hot shit."

Reaching out his left leg, Mason kicked his twin. "Very funny."

Chortling, Mikah replied, "I thought so."

He sobered then, and with a sigh he said, "Look, Mase, I know you and I haven't been as close as we used to be. I know that's my fault, 'cause I pretty much shut you and everyone else out after I imprinted. I'm sorry for that. I'm also sorry that it's taken this happening for me to realize it."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You've been gone all this time, and I know you walked Shalayne home hours ago. Used to be the moment something screwed up happened to one of us, we'd run straight for each other, because we knew each other best," Mikah told him. "You didn't come to me and you haven't spoken to anyone else."

"What do the others know?"

"Nothing as far as I know."

Mason snorted disdainfully. "Please. Bad news spreads like wildfire through dry brush around this place, especially among the pack. You're telling me that no one knows anything?"

Mikah shrugged. "Nothing but idle speculation. Everyone knows you guys took a walk together, and they know you both phased - or at least assume so because someone saw you pick her up and run into the woods. Then some people in town said they saw you walking toward First Beach together. After that, nothing. She hasn't been seen outside of her house since. But of course we're all curious, given how new she is and how she said she didn't want to jump into anything with someone she barely knows."

Banging his head against the wall, Mason groaned.

"Talk to me, Mason. What happened?"

Looking across the small space and into his brother's eyes, Mason saw nothing but genuine concern and a longing to help, and wanting suddenly to have their old relationship back again even if it lasted for only that moment, he opened up and told Mikah everything that had happened that afternoon.

Mikah stared back at him with a sympathetic expression for a long moment. "Damn, bro. I feel bad for both of you now," he said at last. "I can see where all the shit she's been through would make Shalayne hesitant to get involved with anyone, let alone someone who's supposedly perfect for her."

Mason narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean, supposedly?"

"Dude, I'm just trying to look at things from Shalayne's point of view - chillax, alright?" Mikah replied. "I'm just saying I understand why she asked for some time to sort things out."

"I know," Mason said resignedly. "I completely understand it too, I swear I do - maybe more than anyone, because we're bonded. And yet I still can't help wishing I was there with her, right this minute, holding her in my arms and telling her everything's gonna be alright."

"Can I ask a dumb question?"

For the first time, the corners of his lips twitched in amusement. "Better than anyone I know."

It was Mikah's turn to stretch out a foot to kick, though he laughed as he did so. "Funny. But seriously, my question is this: How badly do you want to feel better?"

Mason frowned. "You're right, that's a dumb question. Why would you ask me that when you claim I look like shit?"

Mikah grinned. "Because there's a loophole in your promise."

"What the hell do you mean, there's a loophole? I can't go anywhere near her or I'd be breaking my promise, and if I'm to have any chance at all with Shalayne, I can't go back on my word."

"Dude, it's not like you'll be barging her door down. Most likely Leland would kick your ass for that, anyway," his brother retorted. "But as you are now sadly aware, the pair-bond amplifies our emotions. It may even be worse for you because yours is a two-way bond. But I discovered a way to be near Ayana when I need the strength of my bond with her to boost me up, for lack of a better phrase."

"And how do you do that?"

"Day or night, if she's at home, I wolf out and park my ass in the woods near her house," Mikah replied simply. "Sometimes I phase back to human and sit up in a tree. Just being near her makes me feel better, even though her house is farther from the woods than ours is. And the Whistler place is surrounded by woods, so you've got plenty of cover over there. If Shalayne's inside, she'll never see you."

"But if the windows are open she might smell me," Mason countered. "She'll think I'm breaking my promise."

"Or she'll feel better just having you near, and will forgive that minor transgression as long as you don't actually approach her," Mikah pressed. "I'm really trying to help, man, and that's the only thing I can think of that will."

Mason sighed. "I know you are," he said quietly. "And I do appreciate it. How the hell do you manage this shit? Especially when your imprint is a kid?"

Mikah shook his head, though he smiled. "It still amazes me how some people just don't get it - I guess you have to be bonded to a child to understand. Those of us that are - me, Quil, Jake, and now Alex - we honest to goodness don't see our imprints like potential girlfriends. They're just children."

"But what is the point of bonding to a child? I mean, seriously, why would the magic choose a child or an infant for anyone when you have to wait so long to be with her?"

Sighing, his brother said, "I know that Sam and the other Elders believe that these girls wouldn't have been chosen for us if we weren't meant to have kids with them someday. But we can't see past the fact that they're just kids right now. Maybe having kids with them when they're older is the point, maybe it's not. For all we know, we're just their guardians - could be they're somehow meant for someone else and it's our job to keep them safe until that person comes along. But five years from now, when Ayana's an eligible dating age, or ten years from now when she's full grown, it won't matter how attractive I suddenly find her if she tells me she's only ever thought of me as the big brother she never had. Every imprintee has a choice, and if her choice is another man, I have to accept that. Only those of us doing the imprinting don't get that privilege."

"So what the hell does that say about me and Shalayne? I made my choice before we ever bonded, which I know you know, even though I was too chicken shit to do anything about it. But she's so messed up over all the crap that's happened to her the last couple months, I honestly think she might be the first of us to fight her imprint. What the hell do I do then?"

"You let her go," Mikah said. "You said yourself that forcing yourself on her would only serve to push her away faster, and quite possibly destroy any chance you might have with her. Maybe letting her go is what it will take to bring her back to you, maybe it's not. And I know it sure as hell won't be easy for you, but letting her make this decision on her own might just be the best thing you could possibly do for whatever relationship the two of you end up having."

Mason considered his brother's advice in silence for a long while, before looking at him once more and asking, "Are you sure it's okay for me to go sit in the woods by her house? I know what you've told me is the truth even if I don't want to accept it right this second. I just know that I feel miserable and the only thing that will make me feel better is being near her."

In answer to his question, Mikah stood and moved to the door, stepping outside to hold it open for him. "Go," he said.

Mason stood and shucked the clothes he was wearing, morphing into his wolf before he was even out of the clubhouse.


	6. Worth the Risk

**6. Worth the Risk**

On the third day of his "night watch," as he'd come to call it, Mason got caught.

The first night, he'd found a spot in the woods behind Whistler Cottage from where he could see the house clearly enough, but that he could not be seen from any of the rear-facing windows. Mikah had been right - just being near Shalayne, known she was inside, and he felt immensely better than he'd felt all afternoon and evening. He eventually fell asleep in his wolf form, his head resting on his crossed forelegs.

The next day, when he'd gone home to shower and eat, he found a voicemail from Jacob on his cell phone letting him know that he was being taken off of the patrolling schedule for the next few days, to give both him and Shalayne time to work things out. If he felt the need to go wolf, Jacob had said, it would be best to do it at night (little did Jacob know, it would seem, that he was already doing that), as Leah was still going to be working with Shalayne on phasing back and forth during the day. This just proved to him that Jacob knew what had happened, and he was sure that the entire pack knew as well. Once again, he sought to avoid everyone so that they wouldn't ask him any questions.

On the second day after his overnight vigil, he was surprised when Mikah delivered a message from Shalayne. Apparently he had run with some of the other guys during her "lessons" that day, and she'd detected his voice in her head. Shalayne had asked his brother how he was holding up, to which Mikah had replied, "I won't lie, he's kinda miserable not being able to see you, but he respects you enough to wait for you to let him know when you're ready to see him." It was a little white lie, Mason knew, and he was glad his twin hadn't told her about his nightly visits. The message Shalayne had asked Mikah to convey was, "Tell him I'm sorry he's having a hard time, but that I still very much appreciate what he's doing for me. And let him know that I think about him often." It was the first positive thing he'd heard in two days.

Later that night, the third he had gone to stay outside her house, skulking in the woods, Mason had felt compelled to creep closer to the house than before. He had thought himself still safe from detection until Leland stepped out the back door to deposit trash into one of the trash cans. After replacing the lid, he'd stood frozen on the steps, sniffing the air as all the wolves tended to do, and it occurred to Mason that the elder Whistler's sense of smell must also have been heightened when he'd begun phasing into a raven.

Leland stepped down off the back steps and took a few toward the woods. Mason froze in place, praying he couldn't see him.

"I know one of you wolves is out there," Shalayne's brother said then. "And it ain't Leah, because believe me, her scent I know by heart. You may as well show yourself."

With a light huff, Mason slowly got to his feet and stepped just close enough to the tree line that Leland would be able to see him, but not so much that he'd be distinguishable from any of the other wolves from the house.

Leland crossed his arms over his chest. "You must be Mason." It was a statement, not a question.

Mason nodded, his eyes straying toward the house as he gave a soft whine.

"You know, I should probably pull the big brother card and tell you that you're breaking your promise by being here," the older man said.

He whined again, then hung his head low as he slowly turned and started back for the woods. Leland was right, he shouldn't be here. He was going back on his word.

"I said 'should,' Mason, not that I was going to," Leland added, making him pause and look back. "Wait here a minute."

Curious in spite of his shame at having been caught, Mason watched as Leland walked toward the back of the house, where he opened what looked like a large tool box and, to his surprise, pulled out a pair of sweatpants. He carried them back to the tree line and held them out. "Be easier if I could hear you, too."

Sighing, Mason padded over and gently took the pants in his teeth, retreating into the woods just far enough that Leland wouldn't see his nudity, then quickly shifted and put them on. His gait was reluctant as he stepped forward again.

"I'm sorry, I had to - " he started to say, before Leland cut him off by holding up his hand.

"I'd tell you to get lost, kid, if I didn't know exactly how you feel," Leland said, surprising him again. "After that meeting in the woods we all had the night we found out what happened to Sierra, Leah and I had an argument on the way back here. After she went home, I realized I'd been an ass, and I felt so miserable that I camped out on her front porch that night. So I understand, at least somewhat, as to why you're here."

His eyes roamed to the house again - Mason could smell her sweet jasmine scent even from where he stood, and could feel his body respond to that intoxicating aroma with the urge to run inside and scoop Shalayne into his arms. It was with an effort that he returned his gaze to Leland. "I know I'm not supposed to be here," he said. "I gave her my word I would give her all the time she needed, and I swear I meant it. But I can't help myself. Being here like this helps me deal with the pain of not being able to see her in person."

Leland grinned without humor. "If I didn't know exactly how that feels, I'd say you were obsessed with my sister. Even though I know she's not far away, a part of me hates that Leah goes home to another house every night. I can't help feeling like her place is here with me."

"But at least you know that one day, she won't be going home to some other house," Mason said. "I don't even have the assurance of knowing that we're together to get me through the day. God," he groaned, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "I wanted to imprint even though I knew it meant I wouldn't belong to myself anymore, in a sense. I didn't care that my life and my heart was going to belong to the girl, because I knew that we'd be happy. That magic would guarantee it, or at least it was supposed to."

Pacing away, he dropped to the ground and sat with his back against a tree, leaning his head back with his eyes closed. Mason heard Leland drop down to the ground close by him.

"Mason, according to what Shalayne said the other day, you were attracted to her before the imprinting, correct?" Leland asked.

"Yes."

For a moment his companion didn't comment, and so he opened his eyes to look at him. Based on his expression, Leland was thinking carefully about how to phrase his next words, so he waited in silence for him to speak.

"Even though it was imprinting that initially drew me to Leah," he began after a moment, "I believe I can say with absolute certainty that without it, I'd still have been attracted to her. I believe that even if we weren't bonded, we'd still be together. I've come to believe that the pair-bond is the magic in our blood emphasizing something that was already there to begin with - something dormant and unknown until just the right moment."

Leland looked over at him. "It actually makes me really happy that you liked her even before you imprinted on Shalayne, because I know that it isn't just the bond drawing you to her. Your part of the bond is merely emphasizing something that already existed."

"What about Shalayne's part?" Mason asked.

"Honestly - and this is just between us - I think she's scared," Leland replied. "While our parents' deaths, Grandfather's death, and the sudden realization that some monsters are real and that she's one of them has no doubt had an effect on her, I think my sister is scared by just how strongly she fell for you in that one instant. A part of her knows that you really are perfect for her, as weird as it is for me to say that about my kid sister, and it's kinda freaked her out because this person who is so perfect for her is someone she doesn't know. I don't think I've met a woman yet, besides Leah, who is capable of understanding how a complete stranger is perfect for her."

"But isn't that how it always starts out? That two people are strangers until they get to know each other?"

Suddenly Leland laughed. "Kid, if I didn't already believe that the imprinting really does pick the right person for us, I'd know it for sure now."

Mason frowned. "I don't get it."

Leland looked at him again. "What you just said about how it always starts out as strangers until two people get to know each other? I said pretty much the same thing to Leah the day I met her. It's like you're me, and Shalayne is Leah."

Sighing then, Leland stood and brushed off the seat of his jeans. He looked down at Mason as he said, "I can't tell you for sure if things are going to work out for you and my sister. At this point the ball is in her court, and I appreciate that you respect her enough to give her the time she asked for. You're doing that as best you can, so I won't tell you to leave because I can sympathize with how you're feeling. But you should keep out of sight if you don't want to risk her seeing you."

Mason stood as Leland turned and started for the house. "Leland?" he called out softly, causing the older man to turn back. "Thank you."

Leland nodded and walked back into his house. Mason then stepped back into the woods and, after removing the sweatpants and folding them, he set them aside and phased again, retreating to his favorite place for another night of sleeping as a wolf.

* * *

><p>"This is rather embarrassing."<p>

Bella Cullen chuckled as she carried Cailin into the bathroom. "Believe me, I know how you feel. When I got too weak to stand up on my own, let alone walk, Rose had to carry me to the bathroom and help me bathe, too," she said.

"Aye, but I'm not in the same condition as you were," Cailin pointed out. "We all knew better what to do from the beginning, so I've thankfully not gotten to such a state as that."

Bella smiled as she nodded, carefully setting Cailin on her feet so that she could use the toilet. "True, and frankly I'm glad you don't have to go through that. It tore Edward and Jacob and my whole family apart to see me so weak and sickly. As hard as this has been for Embry, to see you full with a child that isn't his, it would be much worse if we hadn't known how to take care of you. I'd hate to see him suffering the way Edward did."

Cailin nodded silently as she slid the maternity pants Alice had bought for her down her legs, followed by her panties, and sat on the commode to do her business. Bella turned her back to her and strode over to the door to give her some semblance of privacy, but she didn't leave her alone completely - Rose would have killed her. Cailin was four days from her delivery and was, by Carlisle's order, not allowed to walk anywhere anymore. She was actually quite strong and healthy due to her ingestion of raw meats and blood (much to Embry's dismay, she'd had no qualms about drinking the blood Carlisle provided), but the doctor wasn't taking any chances. He wanted her to stay off her feet in the hope that they would avoid the traumatic circumstances of Renesmée's birth.

So far, Cailin had avoided serious injury. She did suffer from a couple of rib fractures, which of course were painful to endure, but as with Nessie, when the child had reached a point in its development that it could understand what effect his or her movements had on Cailin, he or she took to moving as little as possible - not enough to hurt her anymore, but enough that movement could still be felt.

Rosalie was, of course, on cloud nine. She talked to her often about how she was feeling and attended every one of Cailin's check-ups with her at the younger woman's request - she had felt so honored to be asked but Cailin had waved away her profuse thanks, saying it was _her_ baby they were talking about, so she had every right to be there. Emmett sometimes sat in on their discussions with Carlisle about hers and the baby's progress - what little of the latter he could provide information on given that they could not see through the amniotic sac with the ultrasound. But from what they could hear, the baby's heartbeat was steady and strong, just as Nessie's had been. Edward had been able to pick up on its thoughts here and there, and had told them that the baby understood he (or she) was loved, that parents, aunts and uncles, two sisters and a cousin were eagerly anticipating the birth of their newest family member.

One night, not long after they had discerned that the child could understand and was listening to them, Cailin had called Edward to her room for a private discussion. She asked him if he could tell from the baby's thoughts if it understood who its mother was, because she honestly didn't want to confuse the child. She confessed that she'd taken to speaking to him or her in Gaelic late at night, when she found she couldn't sleep, telling the child in her womb that although she was the one giving birth, Rosalie and Emmett were going to give him life. They were going to love and cherish the baby inside her more than she was capable of doing. She also confessed to Edward that she'd cried over her inability to say that she cared about this baby.

"I want him or her to know I'm not giving 'im up because I hate him," she'd said tearfully. "Because I don't. It's not his fault what happened. And I wish I could love 'im like a mum should love her child. But this baby would be a constant reminder of that horrible night, and I don't want 'im feeling guilty in later years for being a reminder of how he was conceived."

Edward had smiled sympathetically, then tilted his head as he listened to something she couldn't hear. "The baby understands, Cailin. He knows that you don't hate him, and he thanks you for doing what you feel is best for him."

After that night, Cailin had begun to feel a lot better about what she was doing. She'd had no doubt that giving the baby up was the right thing to do, and knowing the baby wasn't going to resent her for it was a weight lifted from her shoulders she was glad she no longer carried. Her concern from that point was more for Embry than herself. He'd promised to be there, supporting her through this every step of the way, but as she'd grown larger he'd found it increasingly difficult to be around her unless her stomach was covered up. He refused to touch her except to hold her hand, or to kiss her cheek, and he did so little of either anymore - the fire that had been such a profound element of their relationship seemed to have gone out, and she feared that despite his assurances to the contrary, they weren't going to be able to repair the damage.

With a sigh, Cailin pushed her depressing thoughts away. Cleaning herself, she awkwardly rose from her place, then told Bella, "I'm finished." And although this had become an everyday occurrence the last few days, she once again felt her cheeks flame red and she closed her eyes in embarrassment as the vampire reached down to pull her underwear and pants back up into place (she wasn't allowed to bend over, either), then leaned behind her to flush the toilet.

"Are you ready?" she asked then, her golden brown eyes full of sympathy as Cailin looked at her.

Nodding, she placed her arms around Bella's shoulders as Bella bent and placed one arm across her back and the other across the back of her knees. In one fluid, graceful movement, she had the heavily pregnant young woman in her arms and was headed back downstairs. In the living room, Embry, Jacob, and Emmett were watching a baseball game together. Embry looked up at their entrance, his expression an indecipherable mask, as had become the norm for him the last few days. Cailin sighed as Bella gently deposited her into one of the armchairs, then none too subtly pushed Emmett off the ottoman so that she could put her swollen feet up. For his part, Emmett flashed Cailin an apologetic smile.

"How's my baby doing in there?" he asked.

Cailin noticed Embry rolling his eyes, but she ignored him and offered Emmett a smile. Although he had been understandably stunned and even intimidated by the thought of becoming a father, after he had heard the baby's heartbeat that first time, he'd become quite enthusiastic about the prospect, and was really looking forward to the day the baby came. This made Rosalie even happier, to see that Emmett was excited about being a parent with her. They had discussed names for a boy and a girl and had even asked Cailin if she'd like to have a part in naming the child. Though she was, for the most part, keeping her feelings regarding the baby as closed off as possible for fear that she might actually begin to love it, she had asked if they would consider giving him or her an Irish name in honor of her heritage, one of the few things he would have of her after they were parted. Emmett had heartily agreed, saying that it was fitting because his human family had been Irish as well. They settled on Fintan Henry for a boy, after Emmett's father and the little boy that had been the son of Rosalie's best friend when she was human - whom Emmett had reminded her of the first time she had ever seen him. They would call him Finn for short. Should Cailin give them a daughter, her name would be Lillian Anya - the middle names of her two mothers.

"I'm beginning to think you'll get your wish," Cailin replied to Emmett's query. "As much as this wee one kicks, it must be a boy."

"Maybe it's a girl, and she's practicing her dance moves," Jacob quipped.

Embry reached over and punched Jacob in the shoulder, which Jacob took in stride, acting as if nothing had happened. He was being as understanding as possible of his friend's occasional outbursts, and whenever his anger got the best of him, Jake would tell him to go outside and go wolf for a while to blow off steam. Losing it in front of Cailin, Jacob reminded him, wasn't good for her health, something which was supposed to still be important to him.

But as much as he sympathized with Embry's distress, he wasn't letting his perpetual bad mood dictate his own feelings toward the baby. While he also worried for Cailin's safety during the delivery, Jacob was looking forward to the impending arrival as eagerly as the rest of the family. He had sided with Emmett and was hoping it would be a boy, despite the fact that Edward had joked a boy might be competition for Renesmée's affections when she was older. Jake had claimed not to be worried about that, joking himself that he was irresistible, though he had also said that if the new baby were a boy and he or even his brother Nahuel was the man that made Nessie happy, he would fully support their relationship.

Cailin had wondered often over the last two weeks if that was true or not, and whether or not Jacob's enthusiasm was genuine or merely an extension of Renesmée's joy at having a cousin soon.

To Jacob she said, "Well I suppose that's true. Perhaps the baby is…practicing high kicks."

She'd grimaced as she said this, and all four of the people in the room with her turned to look at her. "Are you okay?" Bella asked her.

"I'm alright," Cailin replied with a tired smile. "I think perhaps the _leanbh_ is excited to hear us talk about 'im." She then placed a hand on her swollen middle and said in Gaelic, "_Ceart go leor anois, socrú síos i ansin. Tá a fhios agat nach bhfuil a dhéanamh, darliom go maith, ceann beag_."*

"Why do you do that?"

She looked up at Embry's question. "Do what, love?"

"Talk to that thing in Gaelic," he replied harshly. "You told me last week that you only did that to people you loved or were mad at."

Cailin stared at him for a long moment, and could feel three other sets of eyes on her, waiting for her reply. In a measured, flat tone, she told him, "The baby likes the sound of my voice when I speak in Gaelic. I don't know that he understands what I'm saying, but it calms him. And if Gaelic's what it takes to keep him from breaking any more bones, then I'll bloody well do it. If my method of self-preservation bothers you so much, perhaps you ought go so you don't have to hear it."

Before he could move or even speak, Cailin pulled her feet from the ottoman and made to stand. Both Emmett and Bella were at her side immediately to help her. "You know what, never mind," she went on, anger seeping into her voice. "I'll remove meself, as I've 'ad just about enough of your attitude, your snide comments, your bitterness, your anger - 'bout everythin' you've said and done over the last thirteen days. I'm tired of you takin' all that out on me when you know damn well that I 'aven't done anythin' to deserve it. I am sorry, Embry, that my first child doesn't belong to you. I'm sorry you are so angry about the fact I decided to carry it to term and give it to better parents than I can be to 'im. Maybe you'd have preferred I had an abortion, but if you know me well at all, you'd know I don't believe in it.

"This child is not at fault for what's happened, you know. The one what is you already took care of, or have you forgotten that? Your anger is not only misplaced, it's wholly out of line. And I've had enough. Until such time as the Embry I fell in love with is ready to make an appearance, I'd appreciate it if you left me alone."

Cailin turned then to Emmett. "If it's not too much to ask, could you please take me to my room?"

Emmett nodded silently, turning the glare he'd shot at Embry into a smile as he looked at her, then bent and carefully picked her up. It was not the first time in the last couple of days that Emmett had carried her, and Cailin couldn't help but think again that he cradled her in his strong arms as if she were something precious. Perhaps it was because of the fact that the child within her was something that had quickly become very precious to him. She also couldn't help feeling sad as she remembered that Embry had once carried her like this, before their whole world had been torn apart. She wondered if he would ever hold her this way again.

Bella followed behind them as Emmett left the room, and when the three had gone, Jacob turned to Embry with a look of incredulity on his face. "Dude, what the _fuck_ is wrong with you? Are you purposely being an ass, or is it just coming naturally?"

Embry pushed to his feet angrily. "Don't start on me, man."

Jake followed his move, grabbing his friend's arm and turning him so that they were facing each other. "Somebody has to - I mean, are you nuts? Don't you remember what Carlisle told you about being here for Cailin, how she was going to need you more than ever? Yet all you've done is snipe about the baby, constantly calling it a thing. You roll your eyes whenever any of us talks about it, or to it. Cailin might be giving this baby up, but that doesn't mean she doesn't have feelings about it that are easily fuckin' hurt by your stupidity."

Embry seethed with boiling anger. "Jake, _don't_ tell me how to feel about this - how I feel is no one's business but mine," he growled through clenched teeth.

"That's where you'd be wrong, pal," Jacob retorted. "How you feel is Cailin's business, too, and you are hurting her by acting like a jackass. Don't you care about her feelings anymore? Do you even understand that she is giving up her baby - her _very first_ baby - because it isn't yours, because she knows how hard it would be for both of you to raise a baby you hadn't created together? Does that sacrifice mean _nothing_ to you?"

"_It should be mine!_" Embry screamed. "That son of a bitch took _everything_ that should have been mine! Her virginity, her first baby - those were supposed to be mine, and that fucker stole them from me! _I hate him!_"

Jacob stood still and allowed him to vent, well aware that the volume of his voice would carry his words to every part of the house. He knew that Cailin would hear him and she would hurt even more, because Embry's was a pain she knew all too well. They were both hurting because things that should have been shared just between the two of them had been denied them both, yet instead of comforting one another, Embry had put up a wall, allowing his anger to fester until it had become a raw, gaping wound.

"I know you do," he said quietly. "But he's dead, Embry. You killed him. Why are you letting the memory of that bastard do more damage than he's already done? This anger is killing you, man. It's killing what you had with Cailin before any of this shit happened. Don't let him do this to you. Don't let him win."

For a moment, Jacob honestly worried that his best friend was about to attack him. He would have allowed it up to a point, though he would have regretted destroying the Cullens' furniture as they fought. But instead of Embry's hands clamping around his throat, they wound through his slightly shaggy hair, pulling hard as he loosed a pain-filled wail and dropped to his knees. Clasping his hands together over the back of his head, he rocked back and forth, crying now. Jake knelt down and placed a hand on his shoulder in a silent gesture of comfort. Embry fell silent after a few minutes but he remained curled up on the floor for several more, his chest heaving as he struggled to compose himself.

When he sat up at last, Jacob noted that his eyes were red and puffy, and hoping that he would take his words in the spirit which they were intended, he applied a smirk to his face and said, "You look like hell, man."

Embry scoffed. "Fuck you, Jake."

Chuckling he replied, "No thanks. You're not my type."

Sobering, Jacob put his hand back onto Embry's shoulder. "Are you okay now?" he asked quietly.

"I don't know," Embry said with a shrug. "But you're right - I shouldn't let that sick freak hurt us anymore than he has. I've been an idiot to let it go on this long."

"That you have," Jacob agreed. "I'm not saying that I don't understand your anger or that you have no right to be pissed, but you cannot let it consume you."

Embry looked at him. "I've never in my life been so filled with hate," he said. "Not even when I first changed and found out about the bloodsuckers being the cause. Hell, I don't think I've ever even really hated the Cullens - most of them didn't choose to become what they are, and they don't kill people because they know it's wrong. I respect that about them."

He groaned again, rising from the floor to sit back on the couch. Embry sat forward, bracing his elbows on his knees as he stared at his hands. "But Joham… He had my woman kidnapped. He raped her. He terrorized her by throwing her into a dark room and threatening to do it again, and again. He did that to Sierra and he would have done it to Leah if she hadn't fought back. When Cailin told me he'd done that to her, I wanted to put that fucking leech back together just so I could tear his head off again. That's what I do in my dreams - I kill him over and over again. He deserved it for everything he did to her and to all those other women over the years."

"You're absolutely right. He deserved that and more," Jacob agreed. "But if you keep letting your hate control you, if you keep directing that hate at the baby - who is also a victim in all this - then you risk losing the woman you love. And honestly, I think you rejecting her will cause her more pain than Joham did. Can you live with yourself for doing that to her?"

Embry drew in a ragged breath, releasing it slowly as he turned to look at Jacob, who had joined him once more on the couch. "I don't want to be the cause of her pain," he said slowly. "I love her, Jake. But damn it, it kills me to see her like this knowing that's not my baby inside her."

"I don't doubt it's hard, bro, but you need to stop wallowing in your own misery and think about Cailin," Jacob pointed out. "This isn't any easier for her, and in fact is probably much worse. Any woman that carries and gives birth to her rapist's baby, whether she raises it herself or not, displays bravery beyond comprehension, dude. You even said yourself once that Cailin was being incredibly brave by going through with the pregnancy. Your job as her mate is to put her feelings, her wants, her needs above your own, and I'm sorry to say, but the last couple weeks you've been failing miserably."

He sighed. "If you don't want to be the cause of her pain, then you're going to have to let go of this all-consuming hate you have. The thing you hate so much is gone, and you are the one who killed him - you should have let your hate burn up with him in that factory instead of giving it a place to burn inside you. You have to remember that you love Cailin more than your own life. And you need to take a good, long look at her and what she's doing - she's going to give birth to a child she won't let herself love even though she knows he's innocent, a child she could not kill because it's not his fault how he was conceived. She's giving up the chance to be a mother to this kid because she's so damn terrified he'll only remind her of that night. And instead of comforting her, holding her and telling her everything's going to be alright - instead of supporting her like you promised you would - "

"Alright, alright!" Embry said testily. "I'm a complete and utter fucking failure as a boyfriend, I get it."

Jacob chuckled without humor. "Dude, I'm not telling you all this to make you feel like a failure."

Embry scoffed. "Could have fooled me."

"I'm only pointing it all out to you so that you can stop yourself from doing any more damage to your relationship," Jacob went on. "And who better than a brother who has seen you at your best and your worst? I practically know you better than you know yourself."

For a moment, Embry only stared, then he gave a mirthless laugh and shook his head. "You do know me better than I know myself," he said at last. "And like I said, I've been an idiot to let this go on as long as it has. I know I should go up and apologize to her, try and work this out… but she was so pissed when she left I don't even know if she'll see me right now."

Jacob nodded. "Perhaps not. But you'll never know unless you go up there and try. You need to talk to her and tell her how you feel. You need to start talking to each other if you're going to fix things between you."

Embry didn't respond verbally. He merely nodded, stood, and drawing a shaky breath, headed for the stairs.

Emmett met him outside Cailin's room. Embry stopped and took in the stance of the hulking vampire, who stood with his arms crossed and his legs planted shoulder-width apart. His dark expression was a telling sign that while he may have heard everything he and Jacob had just said to one another, he wasn't going to let him off the hook that easily.

"You're not going in there," Emmett declared.

"Dude, I am not in the mood to fight with you," Embry replied slowly. "And frankly, it's not your decision whether I get to see her or not."

"Now see, that's where you'd be wrong, pal," he heard for the second time that day. "That's my baby in there - "

"That baby is all you care about, isn't it, bloodsucker?" Embry snapped. "It don't matter to you or that blonde pit bull you call a wife what Cailin thinks, or how she feels, and you probably won't give a flying fuck if she dies giving birth, as long as you get that damn baby!"

"Wrong again," Emmett said, and suddenly he had a hand round his throat and had pushed him up against the wall before Embry had even processed what was happening.

He lifted his hands to clamp them around Emmett's wrist, attempting to pry it loose and fighting the urge to phase. "Let go of me!" he ground out through clenched teeth.

"Let's get something straight here, _mutt_," the vampire seethed angrily. "I love Cailin - yeah, that's right, I love her. She's like a sister, or a cousin - doesn't fuckin' matter because either way she's family now. She's giving me and Rose something we never would have had otherwise, and there are not enough words in all the languages of this planet to describe how grateful I am to her for making Rosalie the happiest I've ever seen her. But all that happiness won't mean jack shit if Cailin dies to give it to us."

Emmett released him then and stood back. "Yes, I want this baby - I sometimes can't believe how much. But not at the cost of Cailin's life, because that's a price I'm not willing to pay."

Surprised by the sincerity he heard in those words, Embry relaxed. "Then why didn't you tell her no?" he asked. "Why couldn't you convince Rose the baby's not worth the risk?"

Leaning against the opposite wall, Emmett shrugged. "Because ultimately it's not my choice, man. It's not Rose's choice. And it's not yours. We learned the hard way when Bella was pregnant that when it comes down to it, the choice of whether to continue a pregnancy or not belongs to the pregnant woman, and her alone. I think Cailin made this choice long before she came to us. She doesn't believe in abortion and that's a position I respect. I respect her even more for going through with this knowing that it's a hundred times more dangerous than if it was a normal human pregnancy. And Cailin does think it's worth the risk. She believes that this baby deserves a chance to live even if it does kill her."

Embry blinked. "She never told me that."

Emmett scoffed. "Oh, she's said it - dozens of times. You just weren't listening. And hey, I get where you're coming from. I do. I'd hate that cocksucker too if I were in your position. But hating a dead man ain't gettin' you very far is it? Directing that hate at Cailin and the baby, both of whom are innocent of any wrongdoing? That's just moronic. And I honestly thought you were a better man than that."

The two men stared at one another for a long moment, silently coming to an understanding. But before either one could speak again, the door to Cailin's room opened and Bella stepped out. "Are you guys done?"

Embry glanced at her and nodded.

"Good. Cailin said she'll see you." With that, Bella placed a hand on Emmett's arm and pulled him away from the wall, leading him away. Embry stood staring at the partially open door for another long moment, before he took a breath, pushed it open, and stepped inside.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's note - translations of the Gaelic spoken by Cailin:<strong>

leanbh - child

Ceart go leor anois, socrú síos i ansin. Tá a fhios agat nach bhfuil a dhéanamh, darliom go maith, ceann beag. - Alright now, settle down in there. You know that doesn't make me feel good, little one.


	7. Opening Communication

**7. Opening Communication**

Two weeks was a long time to wait, and Shalayne decided it had been long enough.

As she lay awake in the early hours of the morning, she'd come to a decision about two things: One, that Leland had made her wait plenty long enough to see him as a raven - he'd taken to flying at night to reduce his chances of being seen by outsiders, and given how many times he had seen her as a wolf she felt that it was time he return the favor. She planned to tell him at breakfast it was time he showed what he'd been telling her about for the last thirteen days.

The second thing that she decided as the sun was starting to peek through her bedroom curtains was that she needed to see Mason. He had been more than patient and understanding with her, giving her time to sort through her feelings about everything that had happened to her. He'd not called or come to see her, which if she were honest with herself, she'd been hoping he would. As much as she had tried to fight it, had tried not to let the imprint dictate her feelings, she just couldn't get him out of her mind. It was easier during the day not to think about Mason, especially when Leah was being quite the taskmaster, urging her to phase back and forth, teaching her how to recognize the individual scents of the animals in the forest, of the people she knew. She was even learning how to be a tracker, developing her ability to not only identify individual scents, but follow them. Some of the other wolves had been enlisted to help her - so had the vegetarian vampires.

But at night, when she lay in her bed and could not fall asleep even though she was exhausted, she would think of him. She found herself wondering what he was doing, wondering if he was thinking about her…if he was missing her. She missed him, so much more than she'd thought she would or could miss a boy she barely knew. When she did finally manage to sleep, she almost always dreamed about him. Some of her dreams were quite platonic, just the two of them hanging out and having a good time, whether in wolf or human form. Others were quite steamy, her subconscious filled with images of the two of them in a passionate embrace, their lips fused together…or of the two of them in bed together, pleasing each other in most intimate ways. Those dreams always seemed to leave her quite breathless when she awoke the next day.

The crux of the matter, when it came to Mason, was that she felt she had no choice. As much as she was coming to respect the inheritance she had received from her father's Quileute ancestry, she didn't really care for the fact that her choice of mate had been taken from her. Who you married and spent the rest of your life with was one of the most fundamental choices a person could make, and it just wasn't right that the wolves weren't being allowed to make that choice on their own. To Shalayne, it was one thing for the magic to give her the ability to become a wolf, or for that wolf to wake up in the presence of vampires or other shapeshifters - whether it was one or the other or a combination thereof, she had pointed out in the first week of "lessons," then perhaps it wasn't just the nearness of the Cullens. After all, Aitana and several of the other girls from the Lakota reservation were phasing into bears, and Aitana had been doing it for five years. That had to mean that perhaps her wolf and Leland's raven had been stirred by the same vampires that had awakened the bears in the Lakota girls. Leland had nodded and agreed that it was certainly possible, and Leah had added that it was perhaps further proof that they would have turned even if they had not come to La Push. After that conversation with her brother and his girlfriend, Shalayne had finally accepted that the wolf was a part of who she was, who she was meant to be. It was a condition she had been born with after all - something she didn't have a choice about and couldn't exactly change even if she wanted to.

But really, she had wondered, did the choice of her lifetime partner _have_ to be another that was made for her? Did the magic honestly think the wolves weren't capable of finding a suitable person to have children with? After all, the men and women of the last two generations of Quileutes had managed to find husbands and wives just fine on their own - why was it only when the wolves were actually phasing that the choice wasn't theirs? Why was it different for them? It was grievously unfair, in her mind - to all of them.

Another question she couldn't help asking herself was what if, even if they were always meant to change, she and Leland had never come to La Push? What if neither of them had met the person the magic claimed was perfect for them? Would they have remained single their entire lives - would Mason and Leah have remained single? Would it have been fair to Leah or Mason to deny them the happiness they so obviously believed the imprinting would bring them?

Leland had asked her during another conversation whether or not she had thought about the fact that, if they were always meant to phase, maybe they were always meant to come to La Push. Perhaps they were always meant to bring Mason and Leah the happiness they believed imprinting created - and perhaps Mason and Leah were always meant to complete the two of them. Leland had also asked her to lay the imprinting aspect aside and consider Mason from the viewpoint that they were both normal human beings - had she ever thought of whether or not she would find him attractive anyway? Had she ever considered that she might still have been interested in him without the imprint? Leland had sworn he would have fallen for Leah no matter what. He had told her that he knew her taste in boys - and he believed she would like Mason very much with or without the two-way bond.

It was all so much for her to think about. Those thought-provoking conversations with Lee and Leah had forced her to consider angles she'd have never even thought to examine. She also knew that some of the wolves believed there was no point in fighting the imprint, because honestly, even if they didn't have a choice, why would the magic pick someone who _wasn't_ perfect for them? Even Leah had agreed that despite the pain Sam's imprinting on Emily had caused all three of them (and the pack) for a while, in the end the magic had been right after all: Sam and Emily were blissfully happy together as they awaited the arrival of their first child, and as much as she had loved Sam, Leah could no longer imagine spending her life with anyone but Leland.

This morning, as she had so many times before, Shalayne thought about Mason again, how he had told her from the very first moment that he was willing to take things as slow as she wanted, that he wouldn't force her into anything she didn't want. And it dawned on her suddenly that she wasn't exactly returning the favor. After all, she was forcing him to stay away from her, forcing him to fight his desire to be with her, and subjecting him to a state of perpetual misery just because she was mad that she didn't get to choose him on her own. Yes, she really had been overwhelmed by all the drastic changes in her life in so short a period, but in her heart of hearts, she knew that was the real reason she had pushed him away. She wanted the choice of who she loved to be _hers_, and not what appeared to her to be a random biological response. So she considered once more Leland's question of whether or not she would have desired Mason without the pair-bond between them, and considering everything from his looks to his laugh and all the tidbits of information she had heard about him and from him…

Yes. She would have liked Mason anyway.

So maybe, she surmised, Leland was right after all - the bond just amplified something that had already existed.

She sighed as she rose and went to prepare breakfast, but she also felt much lighter than she had in the last two weeks. She was still deeply saddened that her parents were dead and that Grandfather Whistler had died before she'd had the opportunity to meet him. She was still reeling somewhat from the revelation that shapeshifters and vampires were real and that not only could she turn into a wolf, but her brother turned into a raven. She was still dealing with the shock that her best friend had been a shapeshifter for five years and had never told her, that said best friend had at one time wanted to kill Leland's girlfriend. That situation, thankfully, had worked out - Aitana had apologized to both Leah and Leland before she and Branson had gone back to South Dakota, and she had confessed that after thinking about it for a long time, she honestly didn't think she'd have gone through with it anyway; she'd just been so hurt by the realization Leland was not going to be hers that she'd acted without really thinking things through. After they'd been gone about a week, she'd started calling Shalayne every night, and they were beginning to repair the damage to their friendship as well.

The only thing left to do, Shalayne now knew, was to work things out with Mason. She decided that she was going to give him a chance, though she was holding him to his promise to take things slow and approach this like they were just a normal man and woman.

Leland's morning pot of coffee was percolating and she had cracked several eggs into a large bowl and was mixing them when her sleepy-eyed brother walked into the kitchen. "Morning, sis," he mumbled.

"Good morning, Lee," she replied with a smile. "Guess what you get to do today?"

"What's that?" he asked as he grabbed a mug from the cabinet and walked over to the coffee maker.

"Play show and tell," Shalayne told him, grinning at the dumbfounded look that crossed his face. "I mean it's time I get to see this awesome bird form of yours. Two weeks you've kept me waiting, even though you've see me a bunch of times as a wolf. Time to ante up, big brother."

Leland chuckled as he deftly traded the not-quite-full coffee pot for his favorite mug, letting the machine fill the cup to the brim before switching them back (and managing not to spill a drop). "I suppose you're right. I've just been cautious about phasing during the daytime because there are a lot of hunters in this area. A really big bird in the sky might have them taking potshots at me."

Shalayne poured the eggs into the skillet on one burner, then started laying strips of bacon on the griddle she'd had warming on another. "I thought you could fly high enough that no one could see you from the ground?"

He shrugged as he stepped away from the counter, bringing the cup of straight black coffee to his lips and taking a sip. "I can," he said as he pulled out his usual chair at the dining table and sat down. "Allow me to rephrase my earlier statement - I've probably been overly cautious."

"Paranoid is more like it," Shalayne pointed out with a laugh.

Leland took another sip of his coffee, then looked at her. "If I've been paranoid, it's because I don't want to risk costing you one more person in your life. You've lost too many already."

Tears stung her eyes and she blinked furiously so they wouldn't fall, concentrating for a moment on scrambling the eggs and flipping the bacon. "I love you for wanting to take care of me, Leland," she said after a while. "I don't know a girl who could ask for a better brother than you've been to me. But…"

"But what?"

She sighed and looked at him. "One of the things I learned from all the soul-searching I've done the past two weeks is that no matter how hard we try, we can't hold on to the people we love forever. Believe me - I miss Mom and Daddy like crazy, so much that I can't breathe sometimes. But I know that they're not coming back, and I know that they lived a good life together. They raised you and me best they could, and I know that they wouldn't want either one of us to stop living our lives because they're gone.

"In that same vein, I don't want you to live your life any differently than you normally would, Lee," she went on, turning back the food cooking on the stove so that he wouldn't see the emotion in her eyes. "I know that you feel like it's your job to take care of me now, but I'm pretty much grown - in just six months I'll legally be an adult. And while I certainly don't want anything to happen to you anytime soon, I don't want you to curb your enthusiasm because you're afraid of leaving me alone."

Leland rose from the table and moved to stand behind her, wrapping his arms around her and kissing the top of her head. "I don't know a guy who could ask for a better sister than you've been to me," he said softly, giving her a light squeeze and then stepping away. "Anything I can do to help?"

Shalayne turned her head to look at him and smiled. "Toast - my hands are full at the moment."

Laughing he told her, "I'm on it," and headed for the breadbox.

Leah knocked on the door as the two of them were clearing the table after breakfast was finished a short while later. "Good morning, stud," she said with a smile as she stepped inside, offering one of her customary greetings. Leland walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her, giving her a deep kiss. "Hmm, guess you missed me last night," she observed when they broke apart.

Leland returned her smile. "I miss you every night," he told her, then pulled her close and kissed her again.

"Okay, you two," Shalayne admonished lightly. "Save it for the bedroom, why don't you."

"If you insist," her brother teased, grabbing Leah by the hand and pulling her toward the back of the house.

"Oh no you don't, Leland Whistler. You're not getting off the hook that easily."

Leah glanced at Leland as Shalayne was putting the last of the dishes in the sink. "What is she talking about?"

"I gave her my word that I'd show her the raven today," he replied.

"Well, it's about time," Leah told him, earning a raised eyebrow from her man and a "Darn right" from his sister.

Leland laughed and held up his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay. I'm smart enough to know when I'm outnumbered. The two of you teaming up is scary shit."

The two women looked at each other and laughed. Shalayne quickly rinsed the dishes for Leland to wash later, as had become their custom. She was eager to see him in bird form and led the way out the back door. Once Leah and Leland both had come outside, she put her hands on her hips and said, "Alright, let's see it."

Leland looked at Leah, who only laughed. "You heard your sister," she told him in mock sternness.

With a shake of his head and a chuckle, Leland pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it to Leah. He then reached for the button fly of the jeans he'd put on, at which point Shalayne cried out.

"What the hell are you doing?" she asked, her gaze wide-eyed.

Her brother laughed. "Why should I tear up a perfectly good t-shirt and jeans? A pair of briefs is a lot less expensive to replace."

"Right, of course," Shalayne replied, turning away as he finished pushing his jeans off his hips. She heard those go flying and rolled her eyes at Leah's whistle.

"Now that is what I call a hot bod," Leah said.

"Guys, please - you're torturing me here," the younger woman complained. "I know that the two of you are an item and you're both consenting adults but do you have to be all gushy and ridiculous?"

Both of them laughed, Leland's deep bass voice suddenly changing to a sharp bird call. Shalayne looked back, and indeed, where her brother had been standing just seconds ago was a massive raven. She noted that it had to be about as tall as Lee was in human form, and she had the feeling that his wingspan would be about twice his height. She stepped closer, studying the way the sun shone on his silky black feathers, how his eyes followed her every move. They were darker than most ravens she'd seen pictures of - in fact, they were the same deep black that she and Leland both had.

"Wow," she said as she reached out a hand, finding that his feathers were as silky to the touch as they looked. "This is incredible. It's like you're Mom's old Haida legend come to life."

She caught Leah smiling out of the corner of her eye. "Technically he is the Haida legend come to life," she said. "Just like we're the Quileute legend come to life. Well, you and me and eighteen boys. Poor Lee's the only raven in existence - that we know of, anyway."

Shalayne nodded silently as she walked around the bird that was her brother, still marveling at what he looked like. She'd seen Leah in her wolf form, of course, and several of the guys, and of course she'd seen Aitana as a bear that crazy day two weeks ago. But seeing her own brother as the embodiment of the Great Raven was…it was really something.

With a sigh, she stepped back from him. "Alright, my turn. Close your eyes, bird-boy."

A funny sound she could only imagine was supposed to be a laugh emanated from his throat as Leland closed his eyes. Shalayne quickly pulled off the t-shirt and shorts she had slept in, folding them haphazardly and stuffing her panties between the shirt and shorts - unlike her brother, she didn't feel like having to replace them, as she'd ruined too many things that first week alone. She was getting much better at controlling her spontaneous changes, and both Leah and Jacob - whom she'd spoken with across the mental link and seen a few times - not to mention the other wolves, were amazed at how quickly both she and Leland had learned to curtail their tempers. And gaining the upper hand on spontaneous combustion had given her greater control over shifting purposely, which she did as soon as she had set her clothes off to the side. Leah followed suit and within seconds there were two giant wolves and a raven in the back yard.

_Wow_, Shalayne thought. _He looks even more incredible with my wolf eyes_.

Leah chuckled over the link. _Yeah, these eyes make everything sharper, especially up close. Leland just said the same thing about you_.

_He what? Oh, right_, Shalayne said, shaking her head as she recalled Leah having told her that because of their two-way bond - or so the theory went - that she and Leland could hear each other's thoughts, although no one else in the pack could hear him. _Guess you were right about that bond connection. I didn't hear him say a darn thing_.

_Are you ready to get going?_ Leah asked then.

_Actually, Leah…do you think I could go off by myself for a bit?_ she countered. _I really think I'm ready to do some exploring on my own. And of course I know to stay in the deep woods_.

Leah's silvery gray head tilted to the side. _Yeah, that's okay. You know how to follow your own scent back, so you shouldn't have a problem making your way home again. If you get confused, howl and one of the pack will phase to help you_.

Shalayne nodded. _Alright, gotcha_, she said, and started sniffing the air. She detected a sharp scent of cut wood and bird, which she followed to Leland. _Yep, that was him_, she thought as she touched her nose lightly to his breast.

_Good job_, Leah said. _You're really picking up on how to identify individual smells, and shouldn't have a problem identifying him as a man or as a bird now_.

_Thanks. See you later_, she replied, then turned for the woods. About ten feet or so in, another scent assaulted her nose that she couldn't readily identify, but which seemed at the same time more than familiar. Lowering her head, she sniffed the ground where the scent was strongest. She definitely knew that smell - it was one of the wolves for sure. But which one?

_Leah, you still there?_

_Yeah, be there in a second_, Leah replied, and Shalayne suddenly got a mental image of Leland standing next to her in the nude - which Leah was _very_ happy about seeing.

_Leah!_

_Sorry!_ her friend's mental voice replied with amusement. _I couldn't help myself. Your brother is -_

_Please stop!_ Shalayne interrupted. _I do_ not _need to hear about yours and Leland's sex life, thank you very much_.

_We actually don't have one - yet_, Leah commented as she came up beside her.

Shalayne turned her head to look at her. _Seriously?_ she asked in spite of herself.

The head of the silver wolf tilted to one side, then the other. _I won't lie and say we've not been tempted. But I know that Lee's waiting for the right time, and I'm perfectly content to wait with him. Makes it even more special_.

_I wouldn't know. I've never done it before_.

_Neither has Mason_, Leah thought, then caught herself. _Sorry. Sorry about that, hon. It's just…something I know about him_.

_It's alright, Leah. I'm actually kinda happy to hear it_. Shaking her head then, she bent her nose to the ground. _Who is this?_ she asked. _I recognize this smell as one of the wolves, but for the life of me I don't remember who_.

Leah's nose didn't even reach the ground before her head popped up and she looked at Shalayne with slightly widened eyes. _That's because you've only met him as a wolf twice in the last two weeks. Most of the others you've seen more often_.

_So who is it?_ she pressed.

_Mason_.

Shalayne felt her own eyes widen as her heart sped up. _Mason was here?_ she thought, dropping her nose to the ground and sniffing again. _I wonder why he didn't come to the house._

_Maybe because you kinda told him not to_, Leah observed.

The younger woman looked up and sighed. _Yeah, I guess I did. And now I know it's time. This is proof_.

_What do you mean?_ Leah asked.

_I decided this morning that it was time for me to go see him. We need to talk_.

She could feel Leah's happiness across the link. _Whatever you've decided about him, I'm glad you're at least talking again_, she said.

Shalayne chuckled. _Well, we_ will _be talking. I need to find him first_.

_Alright, I'll leave you to it then_, her companion said. _Good luck, sweetie_.

_Thanks again, Leah_, Shalayne said, then turned and trotted off into the woods, following the scent trail of that made her think of paper and pine needles. That was definitely Mason, if he really had been as bookish as he'd said he was. It wasn't until after she felt Leah leave the link that she realized her future sister-in-law had said nothing to her about needing clothes once she found Mason…

* * *

><p>When Embry entered Cailin's room, he found her propped up against the headboard with what looked to be a light blanket draped across her swollen stomach and legs, with her hands clasped in front of her. For the briefest of moments he wondered why she was covered up when it was over eighty degrees outside and the French doors were standing wide open, and then he recalled having made it clear he didn't want to see "that damned thing all the time." She'd taken to covering her stomach in an effort to make him more comfortable around her, and he suddenly felt even more like an ass for making her feel self-conscious.<p>

He closed the door behind him and walked slowly to the bed. As he drew closer he could see that there were tearstains on her face. That he was the cause of her sorrow hit him like a punch to the solar plexus, and it was all he could do not to drop to his knees and beg her forgiveness right then like a blubbering idiot. He was willing to do that if she required it of him, but first he needed to apologize to her.

Only, he couldn't find the words. Couldn't even open his mouth - he could only stare at this beautiful, brave, wonderful woman who had stolen his heart, and hate himself for making her miserable. Feeling dejected, and knowing that if she told him to get lost again, that she was done with him, he deserved her rejection. Embry sat on the edge of the bed by her knees with a heavy sigh, his heart squeezing painfully when she looked out the window.

"Cailin, I…"

"After this happened to me," she began as though he had not spoken, "you were brilliant. You wanted nothing more than to get me out of that damnable factory. And you were the one what killed that evil bastard what took advantage of me, and Sierra. I'll be honest in that I was glad for it, because I thought it would assuage your pain.

"And the first week after, you were so attentive, so gentle, so caring. You asked me to move in with you and your mum, even," Cailin went on, giving a humorless chuckle. "And when you came here to hear what I know you already suspected, you were so sweet and so supportive. You told me that we would work it out somehow."

She looked at him then, and Embry's gut twisted to see tears falling in steady streams. "_We_, Embry - that was the word you used. And I felt so comforted, so loved, because I felt for certain there would always be a 'we.' And now? Now I'm not so sure. You've been a right foul git, Embry Call, and what's worst of all is not that you made me doubt 'we,' but that you made me doubt meself. There for a moment, I wondered if keeping this baby, lettin' 'im grow inside me so that I could give two people who'd otherwise never have had the opportunity the chance to be a mum and dad…I wondered if I was doing the right thing. I wondered if losing you, if losing what we had, was worth it."

Cailin paused, taking a shaky breath. She reached for the box of tissues on the bedside table and plucked two out, using one to blow her nose and the other to dry her eyes. After another steadying breath, she looked up again and went on. "I know what I'm doing is the right thing. Even were I inclined to keep this baby, what kind of mum could I really be to 'im? I can't teach him to hunt, how to feed on animals instead of people, point out that this animal tastes better than that one… I can't really teach 'im how to act around people so that they believe he's as human as they are."

"I bet you could," Embry countered softly. "You could teach him right from wrong, how to act, how to speak."

She smiled weakly and shrugged. "Maybe. But it doesn't matter because I'm not his _mháthair_ anymore. Rosalie and Emmett will give this wee one everything I can't."

Laying her hands to rest on her belly, she looked down and whispered, "I'm doing the right thing."

"Cailin. Please look at me," Embry pleaded, reaching for her hands as she lifted her head. It pained him that she hesitated before placing her hands in his, but he told himself he deserved to feel it. "I am _so_ sorry. I've been a complete and utter fucktard - Jake's right, I wasn't putting your feelings or your needs or your wants first, like I'm supposed to do. I've messed everything up because I couldn't let go of my hate, because I couldn't get over the fact that he took from us - from me - something that should only have been ours. You know how badly I wanted your first time to be special, to be with me. And even though I knew it would probably be a few more years, I knew that your first baby - all your babies - would be mine. He took that from us. He denied you an experience worth remembering, he denied us our first child…"

"Embry, love… What happened might have taken me maidenhead, but I won't ever consider it me first time," Cailin said softly. "I still want that first experience worth remembering to be with _you_. And while this may be me first baby, there can still be 'our' first child. The first life that you and I create together will always be our first."

"But your first baby should have been our first baby," he replied.

"Perhaps, but even though me first isn't our first doesn't mean our first will be any less special," she told him. "Or loved."

Embry nodded, and giving her light hands a squeeze, he looked at her and said, "You want to know what the very worst part for me is? Besides acting like a douchebag and hurting your feelings, besides making you doubt yourself and us… Besides even how much I hate that fucking leech that did this… I hate myself."

"Well that's bollocks! What reason have you to hate yourself?" Cailin asked.

"Because I didn't protect you."

Her face fell and tears pooled in her eyes again as she took one of her hands from his and raised it to cup his cheek. "Oh, _mo ghrá_, you shouldn't hate yourself for that. You could not have known."

"But it's my job, Cai," he said fiercely. "My first duty is keeping you safe, and I failed so completely."

Grabbing hold of his hands, she said, "Embry, you listen to me - you did not fail me. Well, maybe you failed to be as supportive as you could have been the last couple weeks, but you did _not_ fail to protect me, do you hear? Joham could have sent his daughters after any one of the mates. There was no way to know which of us he would take, so how is it you failed?"

"I should have been with you. You'd never have been vulnerable like you were," he told her.

"Love, we were all vulnerable," she reminded him. "And you were doing your job as a protector of your people by working with your pack brothers and your allies on figuring a way to hunt down the bastard what killed Sierra. You were doing that to keep me safe, your people safe, the people of Forks and all the communities of the world safe from that despicable monster. At that time we dinnae know that he wasn't working alone, we couldn't have known because we didn't know who he was then. You cannae blame yourself for me being taken."

"But I do. I failed to protect you," Embry asserted. "And on top of that I've acted like a jackass, which has only made you feel worse about everything. So not only did I fail to protect you, I've completely failed to be what you needed, to give you what you needed, which was my support and my love, unconditionally."

"The fact that you have made mistakes only proves one thing, Embry," Cailin said softly.

He scoffed. "Like what, that I'm a fucking moron?"

"That you're human."

For a long moment, all he could do was look into the bottomless depths of her Irish green eyes, and though he knew he'd kick his own metaphorical ass for quite some time yet, he felt his heart swell to see that she was no longer angry. He only saw her love for him reflected there, and forgetting then that she was pregnant, he reached up and took her head in his hands, bringing her lips to meet his in a passionate kiss.

* * *

><p>Following the paper-and-pine needles scent had led Shalayne through the woods to the main road through the village, and she knew that it would lead her straight to Mason's house. Something told her he had fallen asleep at that spot in the woods behind her house, so this trail was left by Mason as he went home - and based on the strength of the smell it couldn't have been all that long ago.<p>

Peeking through the trees, she scanned Main Street in both directions, checking with her eyes and her ears for signs of a vehicle. Picking up nothing, she sprinted from her hiding spot, dashing quickly across the road and into the trees on the other side. Shalayne picked up the scent trail again almost immediately and started off again. As she had predicted, the scent trail led her to the double shed behind the Westermans' house, but it didn't seem to end there. Her nose told her that he had gone into the clubhouse and then come out, so she took off again, following the trail as it led further into the woods.

It was several long minutes before she found him again. During that time a few of the other wolves had phased and connected with her via the mental link. She'd asked them all if they had seen Mason, but no one had. They weren't hesitant, either, about sharing their feelings, for more than one of the boys told her they were glad she was finally going to talk to him. She could tell that they expected her and Mason to be an item very soon, and while she was not discounting that possibility anymore, she wasn't doing this just to get a boyfriend - she wanted the two of them to be friends first and foremost. It was very important to her that they establish a solid friendship before they put any work into a romance.

When she spotted Mason at last, he was standing in human form at the edge of a cliff, wearing a pair of shorts she'd seen in the clubhouse the one time she'd been in there. By his stance he seemed to be thinking, or maybe he was clearing his mind - he was standing so still. And in the next instant, before she had chance to make her presence known, terror rushed through her veins as Mason simply fell over the edge.

_Mason!_ Shalayne screamed in her head, tearing off toward the place he had been standing just a second ago, heedless of the voices suddenly clamoring for her attention as she jumped, shifting in the air as she heard his body break the water, and entering the water herself in human form moments behind him.

She opened her eyes as she righted her body, ignoring the sting of the salt. Looking around her, she saw Mason floating toward the surface and swam toward him. He didn't seem to know she was there to help as when she grabbed him under the arms and kicked hard for the surface he began to struggle. Drawing him to her chest she tightened her hold, grabbing her right wrist in her left hand. He seemed to relax then, though both of them sputtered and gasped for air when they finally reached the top of the rolling sea.

"What the hell?" Mason yelled between coughs, turning around as she loosed her hold. "Shalayne?"

She was coughing and wiping her hair from her eyes, and when she looked at him, she saw wonder and disbelief in his eyes - and she felt a warmth in her chest that overshadowed that which she had felt when she'd first realized he had been at her house. Looking at him really did make her feel…whole.

"I saw you fall off the cliff. I thought you needed… I was trying to save you," she said.

Mason smiled. "Thank you, but I didn't need saving. I was cliff diving."

Shalayne quirked an eyebrow. "That didn't look like a dive to me. You just…dropped over the edge. It scared the hell out of me."

"I'm sorry I scared you," he said. He reached for her then but stopped himself, his eyes going wide as he did a 180 in the water.

"What's wrong?" Shalayne asked.

"You're, um…you're not wearing any clothes."

"Oh, that. I was a wolf when I saw you. I followed your scent trail from the woods behind my house. What were you doing behind my house?"

Mason chuckled. "I have a confession to make. I've been sleeping there almost every night, in my wolf form. It…it helped me feel better just to be near you, even though I couldn't see you. I'm sorry I broke my promise."

Shalayne treaded closer to him, tentatively reaching for his waist and drawing herself against his back. Mason groaned as she said, "I don't mind."

His breathing became shallow. "Shalayne, you need to let me go," he said.

She frowned at the hoarseness of his voice. "Why?" she asked, feeling the warmth in her chest spread through her when the sensation of her bare breasts against his bare back registered in her brain. She realized that she liked it, that it felt wonderful to be holding him like this.

"Because if you don't I might not be able to control myself," he replied.

In the next instant, he was turning in her arms, wrapping his own around her as he drew her even closer, muttered "Oh hell," and brought his mouth down on hers for a crushing kiss.

Shalayne melted into his embrace and opened her mouth to his probing tongue, and the kiss deepened. The feeling of her bare breasts against his chest was an even more pleasurable sensation than the feel of them against his back, and she tightened her hold on him, as if it could bring them even closer. She felt his erection against her abdomen and felt trills of sensation in her core - this felt so perfect, so right, that she questioned why she had ever denied it.

* * *

><p><strong>AN - Gaelic translations:**

_mháthair_ - mother

_mo ghrá_ - my love


	8. Fears and First Times

**8. Fears and First Times**

Then, just as suddenly as he had drawn her into that passion-filled kiss, Mason pushed himself away and turned around again. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have done that."

"Sorry?" Shalayne wondered, and felt all the pleasurable emotions running rampant through her suddenly freeze. "Why are you sorry? Am I not…good enough? Don't you like what you see?"

Mason groaned as he treaded the water, but he kept his back to her as he replied, "God, no - Shalayne, you're perfect. Smokin' hot doesn't even do you justice anymore."

"Then why won't you look at me?"

"Because I don't want to take advantage of you," he said then, his voice rough. "I care about you and respect you far too much for that."

For a moment she could only stare at his back, and then it dawned on her what she had done, and she was horrified. "Oh my god!" she gasped, self-consciousness over the fact that she was completely naked slamming into her with sudden force. Even though he was facing the opposite direction, she covered her breasts with one arm, while still using the other to help keep her balance as she treaded water.

"You must think the worst of me now," she bemoaned. "First I tell you I need time and then I'm throwing myself at you - literally! I threw myself over a cliff for you! Mason, I swear I'm not that kind of girl - I'm not a tease, I promise you!"

Mason laughed. "Sweetheart, the thought never crossed my mind. I think we were both just…caught up in the moment. Why don't we both go wolf and head back to my house, where we can get dressed and talk. That sound good?"

"Heh, that sounds great," Shalayne said with a self-deprecating laugh. "I was actually looking for you because I wanted to talk to you, not act like a wanton slut."

"No more of that, now," Mason replied with a brief glance over his shoulder. "You didn't do anything wrong - far from it. So let's get going so we're both a little more comfortable."

"Yeah, we probably should," she said with a nod, and after looking around for a good place to get out of the water (she noted there were precious few in this area), Shalayne noted a small inlet of sandy beach, and she swam toward it, with Mason following at a discreet distance. As soon as her feet could touch bottom she started walking, keeping her arms crossed over her chest despite the fact that Mason was behind her. When she was only waist-high in the water, Shalayne phased and splashed out quickly.

_How was the cliff diving?_ she heard Johnny's mental voice say, no small amount of humor in his tone.

_We tried to stop you Shalayne_, added Quil. _To let you know that Mason would be alright, I mean_.

Shalayne growled lightly. _So glad you boys are enjoying my stupidity_, she grumbled. _How the hell was I to know? I haven't been cliff diving yet, and it didn't look like a dive to me - I thought he needed help. 'Scuse me for being concerned_.

Mason had joined the link as she thought the last two lines, and as he stepped up beside her his mental voice said, _For which I am grateful, even if I didn't really need saving. Now you idiots leave Shalayne alone_.

Though Johnny chuckled again, he said nothing. Quil acknowledged and said nothing more. Shalayne looked over at Mason and saw that his swim trunks were clasped lightly in his jaw.

_Why ruin a good pair of shorts?_ he said in response to her look. _Want to go?_

She nodded. _Yeah. And personally, I've had enough of prying minds, so if it's all the same to you, I'd prefer our conversation to be private_.

_You know we'll hear about it anyway, next time you guys go wolf_, spoke up Henry. _May as well dish now_.

_Stop being nosy, Henry_, Mason warned. _Our private business is just that, until such time as we make it public. Now butt the hell out_. Looking over to Shalayne, he added, _Ignore those morons. They just want to gossip like old women_.

_Or old men_, Shalayne retorted as she started off in the direction of his house. _Y'all can talk just as much shit as women can, especially when you have nothing better to do_.

_Touché_, Mason thought with a chuckle, trotting along beside her.

As they walked, Shalayne was very conscious of the presence of the larger red and black wolf beside her. Out of the corner of her eye she watched him walk, really paying attention this time, and noted that he moved with a fluidity and grace not unlike that of wild wolves. His wolf body seemed to be all sinew and muscle, and she had no doubt that he would be a formidable fighter, ferocious and terrifying.

_Especially if you were in danger_, he told her, glancing over as he sent the thought her way.

_Have you ever fought a vampire?_ she asked.

_Not in actual combat, but the Cullens taught us how to take on newborns a couple summers ago_, Mason replied_. Mikah and I were the last two to turn _- _to be honest, I think everyone was surprised, as it had been a few months between us and Drake; he was number eighteen, and everyone thought he would be the last. He changed just a few weeks after the rest had that big confrontation with the Volturi, the vampire governors, just before New Years' of 2007. They'd been led to believe Nessie was an immortal child, and those are big no-nos because they can't really be controlled. Anyway, most of the wolves had had the combat training, and that summer, before they moved to New Hampshire, they taught the rest of us in case we might ever have need of the knowledge._

_Truthfully,_ he went on,_ vampires don't come through here that often, despite the natural attraction of the constant clouds_.

_Ain't that why the Cullens moved here?_

_Yeah, which is - when you think about it - why it's so surprising we don't get more of them. But before they moved back here in like, 2003, it had been seventy years since the tribe had seen a vampire - hell, since they'd seen _them_, because they were the last ones who came through here_. He looked over again. _I guess Forks and La Push doesn't have as much variety as the big cities - the red-eyed bloodsuckers that feed on humans prefer places like Seattle, Tacoma, and Olympia. More people to kill, I guess_.

_Then how did Aitana and the other Lakota girls become bears?_ Shalayne asked. _Aitana told me she was the first of this family, as she put it, and she first changed five years ago. The other six changed within about a year and a half of her. Lower Brule is like, nowhere near a big city_.

_Must've been nomads_, Mason replied. _We've been told that they move around a lot, but if they were there long enough to trigger seven girls into phasing, there must've been something close that captured their attention. Can you think of what that might be?_

_Heh, that's easy - the Golden Buffalo. It's a casino_, she told him.

_Sounds like something that might attract a tick_, he agreed. _Not only could they have fed on the locals, but also tourists visiting the casino - and probably more of the latter, given that they wouldn't necessarily be missed right away_.

_Of course, if it was nomads, then that blows my theory out of the water_, Shalayne mused.

_What do you mean?_

_Well, Leah, Lee, and I had a conversation a few days after I phased the first time. We were wondering how come Lee and I had turned within just a few weeks of being down here when it took the rest of you years to change, and I had suggested that maybe the vamps that triggered the Lakota girls' bear forms had stirred my wolf and Lee's raven. But Aitana turned back in 2004 - she was the youngest ever, she said - and the last one turned in late 2005, about a year and a half later. That means it's been almost four years since the last girl turned, so it couldn't have been those vamps. So we're back to square one as to why it happened so fast for us_.

Mason was silent for a moment, trying to figure out how to phrase his next thoughts. _Well_… he began. _Leah has a theory that might explain it_.

Shalayne chuckled. _Leah has a lot of theories - not that I'm saying that's a bad thing_.

He echoed the laugh, then said, _Very true. Anyway, I'm sure you've heard her theory that perhaps it's not just vampires, but also the death they usually leave in their wake, that triggers the change - because death is a signal of danger_.

_Yeah, she's mentioned that one. But according to her, that explains you guys, not me and Lee. The theory that explains us is the one where proximity to other shapeshifters is the trigger. But then that one doesn't really fly, either, when you consider me and Lee have been around the bear shifters for years. So it must be her third theory, that it's a combination of the two_.

_But even that one doesn't really work, if you think about it. Especially if the vamps that triggered the bears were there for a year and a half_, Mason pointed out.

Shalayne laughed. _See? Back to square one_.

After that they walked in a companionable silence, listening to the chatter of the other wolves in their heads, offering a comment here and there if they felt the urge to do so. It wasn't long, though, before they reached Mason's back yard, at which time he told her she could change first. Shalayne thanked him and nosed through the door to the clubhouse after he opened it for her. When it had closed behind her, she phased effortlessly back to her human form and glanced quickly over the items on the shelf, grabbing what turned out to be the same University of Washington t-shirt she'd put on the first time she'd had to borrow Mason's clothes (which had been returned to him by Leland), and she smiled as she pulled it over her head. After pulling her wet hair out of the neck she reached for a pair of swim trunks. She knew they weren't going to fit because Mason and Mikah were bigger around the waist than she was, but thankfully the shorts had a drawstring, and after tightening it enough that they wouldn't slide right off her hips she stepped outside, holding the door open for Mason same as he had done for her before.

Stepping around the side of the shed to wait for him, she leaned back against the side of it and thought over what had happened. Had she listened to Quil, Johnny, and the others, she'd have known that Mason wasn't in any danger. But she couldn't listen, she realized - all she knew was that she'd seen him fall. Terror had seized her heart and the fervent desire to save him had spurred her forward. She had feared she would be too late and unable to make up for having hurt him, and when it became clear that he hadn't needed saving after all, she felt only relief at knowing he was unhurt from his fall. So happy had she been that she'd paid no heed to her nudity, had pressed herself to him like it was the most natural thing in the world for her bare skin to be in contact with his, and when he'd kissed her it was as if all that was wrong in her world was right again. Shalayne couldn't help wondering if that feeling was her own, or if it was the pair-bond telling her that was how she felt.

"Damn it," she muttered as Mason was rounding the corner of the shed in a sleeveless tee and cargo shorts.

"What's wrong?" Mason asked, a frown marring his handsome features.

"I'm over-analyzing again," she replied. "I was just thinking about what happened at the cliff, and how when you kissed me everything felt so right."

A tentative smile crept onto his face. "Is that a bad thing?" he asked.

"It is when I wonder whether or not I actually felt that way, or if the bond is telling me that's what I felt," Shalayne replied. Groaning, she slid to the ground and drew her knees up, wrapping her arms around them. "I fucking hate this - I hate that this shit is making me second-guess myself. And I don't want to just go with it because that feels like selling out, and while I've accepted that the wolf is a part of me, I _refuse_ to allow this magic crap to force me to abandon my principles."

Mason had lowered himself to the ground beside her and assumed a cross-legged posture, also leaning his back against the side of the shed. "Nor should you abandon them," he told her. When she looked at him with surprise, he smiled. "Hey, I'm a man of principle, too. I'd never ask anyone to go against their beliefs for me, especially you. Just like I believe I'd never compromise my own for anyone."

Shalayne sighed. "I feel like I'm doing this all wrong. Like I'm just hurting you more when my whole purpose in looking for you was to apologize for hurting you, and to tell you that if you hadn't given up on me, I was willing to try that 'approaching this like we were two normal schmoes' thing you suggested."

His eyebrows lifted in surprise and hope, and he smiled again. For the first time, she noticed he had a dimple just below the left corner of his mouth. "You were?"

She nodded, and the boyish, hopeful expression he wore was so sweet she couldn't help but smile in return. "Yeah. Leland suggested I consider you without the imprinting aspect, as in would I be attracted to you anyway. He seemed to think so because he claims to know my taste in boys, and I finally realized he was right. You're not only good-looking, but you're smart, and serious, and funny… You're incredibly understanding and patient, too, more than any other guy your age I know. Well, most other guys - Seth's a good guy in that respect, too. So's most of the pack, for that matter, but you all seem to be an exception to the teenage boy rule. And what I like best about you is that as much as you wanted this, you respected me enough to give me time to work through all my personal issues. You didn't push it, didn't pressure me. I can't tell you how much I appreciate that, and how very different that makes you from so many of the boys I grew up with and went to school with."

Shalayne sighed, and after dropping her legs to cross them as his were, she looked down at her hands, which were now twisting in her lap. "I just wish I could be as at ease with this as you are. But I've always valued my independence, and I just don't believe that who you spend your life with is a choice that anyone has the right to make for you."

Mason reached over and took her right hand in his left, lacing their fingers together. Shalayne didn't have the heart, and in truth the desire, to pull her hand away.

"Believe it or not," he began, "I like that about you. I like that you are strong-willed and independent. I like that you are drop-dead gorgeous with a body that defies description. I love that you are a thinker, someone who asks questions and doesn't let other people dictate to her. Given all that, I honestly believe that we're a good match-that we have a chance at something real, with or without the bond we share."

She looked up into his warm, dark brown eyes and saw sincerity there that told her he believed everything he'd just said. "Do you really think that if we do this, it's because _we_ want to and not the bond telling us to?" she asked.

He gave her hand a gentle squeeze as he nodded. "I do. I was attracted to you before we imprinted on each other. You would have been attracted to me without it. All the bond is really doing is emphasizing something that was already inside of us."

She chuckled then. "Now you're starting to sound like Leland. I'd be freaked out if I didn't love my brother so much - not that I'm exactly interested in being with someone just like him."

"I actually got that one from him," Mason told her. "He caught me out behind your house one night and we had a talk. Thought for sure he was going to tell me to get lost because I'd promised to stay away, but he said he understood my need to be close to you."

"You know, despite all my worrying and wondering and questioning, and all the exhausting back-and-forth shifting I've been doing the past two weeks, I've actually slept pretty well at night," Shalayne confessed. "Maybe it was because I had you there watching over me, even though I didn't know it."

He tilted his head to the side as if in thought. "Maybe. Could have been one of the benefits of our bond, 'cause I felt tons better just knowing you were right inside that house, even though I couldn't see you."

For a moment they sat in silence, with Mason lightly stroking the back of her hand with his thumb. Shalayne felt rather comfortable sitting there with him, just being together and not saying anything. It told her that they wouldn't always need words to express themselves, and she really liked that.

"So, Mason Westerman," she said at last. "Where are we going on our first date?"

* * *

><p>After Embry had kissed her, they had talked some more. He had even asked her how the pregnancy was going, and she told him that while the baby seemed to understand what movements would break bones and so did it's best to avoid them, he did still leave bruises across her stomach with some of his movements. She'd thought Embry would explode over that, as he'd closed his eyes a moment and clenched his jaw shut, but she reminded him that as intelligent as the child was already, it was still part vampire and some minor injuries like bruises were simply unavoidable.<p>

When she began to tire and yawn, Embry had smiled and told her to get some rest. Kissing her again, more softly this time, he'd helped her scoot down in the bed and when she had rolled onto her side he rubbed her back for her until she fell asleep. Cailin woke an hour or so later, just as Esme was stepping into her room.

"I was just coming to see if you were awake yet," the gentle vampire said with a warm smile. "I'm preparing some lunch for you downstairs if you're ready to eat, and you have company if you're up to seeing them."

"Who's here?" Cailin asked, sitting up in the bed.

Esme came to stand by the bed. "Seth is here with Jennifer and Ever again. And Alex, of course, though the boys have gone for a run with Embry and Jacob."

She looked down at Cailin with an expression of motherly tenderness that brought a sad smile to her face. She'd always thought that when she started having children of her own, her mother would be a part of the experience. She knew her mother would give her all kinds of advice, be buying all kinds of clothes and toys for the baby. Cailin also had the distinct feeling that if she had been able to tell her mother what had happened to her, her mother would have supported her every step of the way, whether she had chosen to keep the baby or not.

But she couldn't tell her mother the truth - secrecy was such an important factor in the lives of the wolves and the vampires. It was necessary for their survival. And though she understood the need, it still hurt more than she could say that she was going through this terrible ordeal and she couldn't even have her own mother by her side. Esme had seemed to sense her need for a mother's love and advice, and had often sat with her over the last two weeks whenever she simply needed someone to listen. Her advice was always to do what she thought was best, to follow her heart. She was such a kind, caring person that Cailin had a hard time believing she was a soulless monster, as legend had always painted vampires to be. And she appreciated more than words could ever say everything that Esme and her family were doing for her. It was more than any person could have ever asked for.

"I wouldn't mind at all seeing them," Cailin replied then.

Esme nodded, and though she seemed hesitant, she turned and sat down on the bed, perching on its edge. "I don't wish to pry, and if it's too personal you're more than welcome to tell me to mind my own," she said, offering another of her motherly smiles, "but when we got back from our hunt, I heard that you and Embry had had a disagreement. Is everything alright?"

Cailin felt her cheeks flush, and a chagrined smile formed on her own lips. "I really hope so," she confessed. "You know how Embry's been the last couple weeks. We all thought because of the imprinting that he'd be nothing but supportive of me, and I know that he had every intention of being so. But his hatred of Joham and what he did to me, what he believes that sod has denied us, began to eat 'im up inside - that's why he's been so bloody out of sorts all this time. I s'pose I had tolerated as much as I could, and I let 'im know it. After a bit he came up and apologized to me for acting the fool, and he's sworn he's going to be nothing but positive for the rest of the week, until the baby's born."

"And what about after, during your recovery?" Esme asked.

She grinned. "Told me I wouldn't have to get out of bed for anythin', that all I had to do was call his name and he'd fetch me whatever I desired."

Esme chuckled. "Sounds to me like Embry knows he has a lot of making up to do," she chided.

"Aye, that he does," Cailin replied with a smile, then fell silent, her eyes drifting toward the windows to look out on the afternoon sunlight. "I know he's been an arse much of the last two weeks because he's been angry, but I think it's also because he's deathly afraid he's going to lose me."

She looked over at Esme again, whose chilly hand took one of hers in a gesture of comfort. "I know what some of you must be thinking - have I really considered that this baby could cause me serious injury? Have I really considered that I could die? And have I considered that my death would quite possibly destroy Embry, as Sierra's death so thoroughly destroyed Collin?"

"Now Cailin, none of us think that you're not considering those things," Esme told her.

"At least not that you're telling me. But I know that even Emmett and Rose have said had I decided not to carry this baby, they'd have understood my decision to end the pregnancy. Carrying the child of a vampire is far more dangerous than any normal human pregnancy, and is far more likely to end in my death."

Sighing, Cailin gave Esme's hand a light squeeze. "I may be young, but I'm not naïve, you know. When Embry first told me about what he was, about vampires, he told me everything that's happened since he changed. About the newborn army, about Bella's choice to become like you all, about her choosing to carry Renesmée even though that wee babe was killing her. He told me how the wolves had planned to kill her baby until they finally understood what she really was, just a combination of human and vampire. He told me how you all had set aside your differences and come together to defend her when the Voturi believed she was an immortal child.

"Knowing all that, when I realized that Joham's despicable use of me had left me with child, I did think once about not keeping it - no one could blame me for aborting the spawn of my rapist, especially given he was a vampire. I knew that the child itself could kill me just trying to be born. But then I thought about how I've always believed that were I ever to be violated by a man, a human man, and that resulted in a child being conceived, I'd not get rid of it. The wee one would be blameless then, as he's blameless now. Besides that, I've always believed that life begins when one is conceived, and as I was raised Irish Catholic, I was raised to see abortion as a sin."

She paused and drew a deep breath. "I don't want to hurt Embry - gods no. And I know that deciding to go through with this pregnancy put me at risk - I've the bruises and broken ribs to prove that. I know that despite every contingency plan Carlisle has in place I could still die from something as simple as blood loss, as it's happened to women with normal pregnancies."

Cailin looked at Esme again, seeing once more the tender, loving mother-figure who just sat and listened and let you get it all out. It wasn't the same as her own mother being there, but it was close enough that she felt comforted by it, so she smiled even though the gesture was weak.

"I know I've said it a number of times how I'm scared, but I don't think anyone really understands how terrified I am," she said. "I don't want to die, Esme. I don't want Embry to follow me to an early grave - I know my death would kill him, too. But despite my fear… I know that I'm doing the right thing."

Esme released her hand in favor of raising her own to brush her hair back from her face, again as a mother would do, and smiling softly as only a mother could. Cailin was struck once more by how much she wished her own mother could be there with her, but also how nice it was to have someone who knew how to give that kind of comfort standing in for her, without having to be asked. She'd very quickly learned that it was just the kind of person Esme Cullen was - nurturing seemed ingrained into her very being.

"Sweetheart, your fear is perfectly natural," Esme said. "I won't tell you that you shouldn't let it control you, because I'm sure you already know that. I'll only repeat that I support your decision to carry this baby to term, and had you decided to raise him or her yourself, I'd have supported that too. But having seen how happy your offer to let Rosalie and Emmett adopt your baby has made them both, how much it has already changed them both in so short a time, I cannot begin to tell you how very thankful I am that you have given my children the gift of a child of their own. Giving a child up for adoption even under normal circumstances is such a difficult decision to make - I wouldn't wish it on anyone. You have handled your situation with such admirable dignity and bravery…"

Tears dropped from Cailin's eyes and she wiped at them furiously. "Oh, stop that now, you're going to make me blush."

"But it's true! And of course you know that I have every confidence in the world in Carlisle and Edward. They _will_ see you through this, alive and human," Esme assured her.

Sighing and then taking a deep breath, Cailin tried to smile again. "If I didn't have some faith in that, I daresay I wouldn't be here," she said, then sat forward. "Well, I think it's high time we went downstairs - wouldn't be proper to keep our guests waiting."

Esme laughed lightly and stood, then turned around and reached one arm under Cailin's knees. Placing the other behind her back, she carefully lifted her from the bed, at which time Cailin sighed again.

Grinning as she turned back for the door, Esme said to her, "I bet you'll be glad when this is over for the simple fact that you won't have to be carried around anymore."

Cailin scoffed. "I don't bloody need to be carried around now," she muttered. "I'm perfectly capable of walking - I'm strong enough, given me diet and the exceptional medical care I've received."

She sighed again as Esme began descending the stairs. "I know that Dr. Cullen is just being cautious, but I so dislike this carrying stuff. I hate feeling a burden."

"Cailin, you are not a burden to anyone," Esme told her. "We're just doing everything we can think of to make things as comfortable as possible for you."

"I know," Cailin replied, saying nothing else as they at last entered the living room and Esme gently placed her in her usual seat, pulling the ottoman over so she could put her feet up. Jennifer was sitting on the couch with Ever, and the hybrid smiled shyly at her.

"Hello, Cailin," she said.

Esme looked down at Cailin. "I'll go and bring a tray in for you," she said, then turned and headed for the kitchen.

Cailin looked over at Jennifer, pleased with herself that she could actually look at her and feel no ill will. After all, she knew that the younger woman had been intimidated and frightened by the domineering and malicious personalities of her father and sisters, and as such had been too fearful of doing anything but what she was told to do - which had unfortunately included helping Serena kidnap herself and Sierra Bivens, and Leah too. Cailin realized she truly did not blame Jennifer for doing what she had to do in order to survive her life with those people, though even Jennifer had said she would not blame her if she couldn't stand the sight of her.

"Hello, Jennifer," she replied with a smile. "'Tis been a while since I saw you last."

Though Jennifer had regularly gone hunting with the Cullens to acclimate herself to drinking animal blood instead of human blood, Cailin hadn't seen her since the day Leah awoke from her week-long coma. She and Seth would typically meet them outside near or in the woods, which, she had learned, was because Jennifer believed Cailin wouldn't want her near after what had happened.

Jennifer nodded. "It has. I thought it for the best," she said simply.

"You didn't have to stay away because of me," Cailin told her, at which Jennifer flushed with embarrassment. "I know you've been afraid I would not want you here, but honestly, I don't mind at all."

Clearly surprised by this, her guest asked her, "Really? You don't hate me for what I did? I mean, my father used me to drain you of your emotions so he could…" She looked away then, unable to finish the sentence.

"Jennifer, I may hate what you did, but I honestly don't hate you," Cailin said. "I know it's very surprising to you, and probably is to everyone else I've said it to. I admit it even surprises me a bit. But I saw how your father and sister treated you, how you were perceived as weak to them because you despised feeding on humans. And in the few brief moments we were alone together, you showed me true kindness. Since this happened, you've shown true remorse for your actions, which I know you did not do of your own volition. So no, I do not hate you."

A tear fell down Jennifer's cheek that she quickly wiped away. "I thank you for that, even though I feel as if I don't deserve it. I've done so many terrible things in my short life that I cannot even begin to make up for them."

Esme returned then with a cart, from which she drew a lap tray and set it over Cailin's legs. "Jennifer, we all know and understand that your father and sisters mentally abused you, making you fear for your own safety if you didn't do what they wanted," she said as she set a salad with chicken strips onto the tray, and a generous cup of ranch dressing, Cailin's favorite. She put a glass of tea and a bowl with grapes onto the tray next, followed by a container of bacon bits. "While it certainly would have been more favorable for you to escape, either on your own or to your brother Nahuel's company, as I'm sure he'd have welcomed you, no one blames you for being too afraid to do so."

She then moved the cart closer to the coffee table, where she set another tray and put two more salads onto it, one in a smaller bowl for Ever, with all the condiments she had given Cailin as well as glasses of iced tea.

Jennifer flushed again. "Thank you, Esme," she said. "Your family has been so very kind to me, so generous with your understanding and your guidance, and your simple acceptance of me despite what I've done. I can't help feeling that I don't deserve any of it, because it's so difficult for me to understand how you all can be so forgiving. I suppose it is because I've been so little exposed to true kindness in my life. Nahuel was always so good to me when I would visit him, and I longed to beg him to free me from Father. But I was too afraid. Serena and Maysun had threatened to kill me if I ever tried to leave, because I was too valuable to Father. They threatened Nahuel and his aunt, and I certainly didn't want to see them get hurt because of me."

She smiled a little as she set Ever on the floor so the little girl could eat. "Then there is Seth and the wolves. Most of the pack is still wary around me, but they are slowly getting used to me, I think. And Seth has been the most amazing thing that's happened to me, ever. Although I don't really understand why, the magic that makes him a shapeshifter chose _me_ to be his mate, despite all the horrors I've been a part of. It makes absolutely no sense to me. And he didn't question it, didn't try to fight it. He just accepted it, just accepted me - purely and simply."

Cailin looked up to find Esme smiling down at her. Looking to Jennifer, the vampire said, "In the time that we've known him, Seth has always been such a warm, giving, kind young man. He accepts most everyone he meets as a friend without reservation, unless or until they give him a reason to think otherwise. He's just an all-around generous, wonderful person, and we are all so blessed to have him in our lives, to be able to call him a friend."

"I think that is why I am so attracted to him, not just with my gift of feeling emotions, but as a person," Jennifer said then. "He has been so wonderful to me, and to Ever. He treats us like we are his family, but it's so different than the family dynamic that I'm used to."

Cailin, curious now that Jennifer was being so open with them, swallowed the bite of salad in her mouth, asking her, "What about as a man? Do you find him physically attractive?"

Her questions inspired yet another deep blush, and Jennifer lowered her eyes, her shyness taking over as she said, "Seth is very handsome, and I…I have all these feelings when I'm with him. Good, breathtaking feelings - feelings that I hope never go away and only get stronger. But I've never had a relationship with a man before, even though I've been mature for over a decade. I'm barely older than he is, really. Father and my sisters kept a very close watch on me so I don't really how to act with a man, what to say, what to do, none of that."

Cailin and Esme shared another knowing look, but before either of them could reply, little Ever surprised them all by suddenly pushing to her feet. She stood still for a moment as if orienting herself to a new sensation, then just started toddling over toward the glass doors that led to the back yard, saying, "Alex is coming!"


	9. Thy Name is Legend

**9. Thy Name is Legend**

Ever cried out again as she pressed her little hands to the glass on either side of her face. "Alex is coming!"

She looked left and right, her long black braid swinging. "But where is he?"

Jennifer stood and walked over to the door to stand beside her. "What did you see, sweetie?"

"I saw his wolfie coming. I want another wolfie ride, can I do it again?"

Jennifer glanced back at Esme, flashing a smile, then back down at her sister. "I'm sure Alex will be happy to oblige you, but why don't you come back and eat first, hmm? Esme has been very nice to fix us lunch, it would be rude not to eat it."

Ever didn't seem to be listening, she was still staring out the door. "There he is! I told you he was coming!" she said excitedly, pointing to the four wolves that had emerged partially at the tree line. "I was thinking how I want another wolfie ride, and Alex said I could do it again. Then I saw him coming back!"

"She…she saw him?" Cailin asked, turning wide eyes up at Esme.

Esme was smiling as she nodded. "Yes. Ever has a gift - she can see what a person is doing when she thinks about them, what they're doing in that moment."

Cailin glanced back at Ever. "And she's walking," she breathed. "That baby is only three weeks old and she's walking."

"Carlisle has some strong theories regarding hybrid development," Esme said. "We spoke to Nahuel, who is Jennifer and Ever's brother - your baby's brother, too, in fact - and we've spoken to Jennifer about her memories of her childhood. And, of course, we have our own observations of Renesmée to go on. Given all that, Carlisle has concluded that the accelerated development of hybrids is nature's way of trying to maintain balance between the two vastly different genetic codes of the child's DNA."

Looking up at her again, Cailin asked, "I'm afraid I'm not quite sure what you mean by that."

Esme looked back at her. "Think about it this way… You already know that your baby has the ability to understand and interpret speech and to communicate its own thoughts, which has allowed us to teach him what hurts you so that he doesn't do it anymore and you suffer as little pain and discomfort as possible. That demonstrates incredibly advanced cognitive development far beyond the human norm. Carlisle believes that the intelligence a hybrid child develops even while in the womb is what leads to them learning to speak only a week after birth."

Cailin chuckled. "And not only speak, but be articulate. I recall now that the last time I saw her, Ever was already talking, and there was no hint of baby talk in anything she said - although she does tend to say things as a toddler might."

"That's right," Esme said with a nod. "The reason my husband believes that the accelerated growth rate is nature's way of trying to find a balance is because even though vampires start out as humans, the human genetic code is so radically altered by vampire venom that it's markedly different after the change is complete. It's why we're considered a separate species. Nahuel, Jennifer, Ever, and your baby are a combination of vampire and human, two genetic codes which for the most part are incompatible - otherwise there'd probably be thousands of hybrids all over the world. Hybrid children are physically mature by the time they're seven years old and humans, as you know, take seventeen to twenty-one years to physically mature."

Frowning and chewing another bite of her salad as she contemplated that, Cailin finally looked up again and said, "So, if I'm understanding you correctly, the balance Carlisle thinks nature is trying to achieve is derived from the fact that twenty-one years of mental and physical development are being crammed into a time frame one-third of the norm. They have to develop faster mentally because they develop so fast physically."

Esme smiled, appearing pleased that she had grasped the theory so quickly. "Something like that," she said, and turning, she took the handle of the cart in her hands and maneuvered it back toward the kitchen.

While she'd been talking to Esme, Jennifer had come over and grabbed hers and Ever's salad bowls and drinks and took them outside onto the patio. Ever had refused to return to the couch once she had seen Alex, who of the four wolves was the only one who had not phased back to his human form - as soon as Jennifer had stepped outside with her, the little girl had shouted across the yard that he was giving her a wolfie ride as soon as she was done eating. Alex had yelped and nodded his head, and was now lying down at the foot of the patio steps just like a giant dog.

Cailin was watching the two sisters when Jacob and Embry entered the house, and seeing the direction of her gaze, Embry offered to take her outside so she could sit with them. "It's not too bright out, but otherwise the weather is nice."

"That would be lovely, thank you," she replied, beaming a smile up at him.

Embry returned her smile and asked Jacob to get her lunch tray. The wink the Alpha gave to her as he was lifting her tray from her lap told her that he knew exactly what Embry was up to - that he was being extra nice to make up for having been a jerk the last two weeks. Cailin grinned at him, thinking she didn't mind at all. It was nice to see Embry's softer side returned. After Jake had lifted the tray and stepped aside, Embry reached down and gently lifted her into the air. Cailin sighed contentedly and for the moment laid her head on his shoulder.

It felt so nice to be at home again, she mused as he carried her out the door.

Once she was settled again at the patio table and her lunch was back in front of her, Embry took the seat to her left. Jennifer and Ever were seated at the table as well, eating their lunch. Jacob and Seth were seated on the steps down by Alex, and moments later, Esme, Bella, and Renesmée came out and joined them all, Nessie taking one of her favorite spots - Jacob's lap. Bella and Esme sat in deck chairs.

"Where is everyone?" Cailin asked. "I couldn't have slept much more than an hour."

"Carlisle is filling in for a friend at the hospital, but of course we're to call him if needed," Esme said.

"Edward and Emmett are in the garage," Bella added. "Edward is showing Emmett how to install the car seat in every car, in case it needs to be switched from one to another. Jasper went for a ride on his motorcycle, and Alice and Rosalie - "

"Went shopping again," Cailin guessed. "I'd have thought with as many times as they've gone shopping, Rose would have everything she needs for the baby."

Bella and Esme laughed. "When it comes to shopping, Alice buys pretty much everything in triplicate," Bella said. "They're also buying several years' worth of things because he or she will be growing out of baby clothes within days or weeks of wearing them."

"Not that the little pixie lets anyone wear anything more than once anyway, if she can get away with it," Jacob piped up.

"Speaking of Alice," Seth began, "do you guys think Mason's opinion of her has changed now that he's imprinted?"

Jacob shrugged. "I don't see why it would. He thought she was cute, but it's not like he was hot for her or anything," he said, then turned to look up at Cailin. "By the way, we've got good news about him and Shalayne."

Cailin swallowed the gulp of tea she'd taken. "Oh? Have they started talking again? Please say yes."

The boys all laughed, even Alex - though his was a couple of short barks. Cailin couldn't help but wonder how long he'd wait for Ever, but just as she was thinking that, the little girl declared she was done and hopped down from her chair. Clamoring down the steps between Jacob and Seth, she all but threw herself onto Alex's back with a loud giggle.

"Wolfie ride!" she demanded.

Seth immediately reached over to set her on the dark gray wolf's back in the proper position right behind his shoulders, instructing her once again how to grip the fur and hold on tightly, but not so much that she hurt Alex. Ever listened carefully, then told Seth, "But I know all that already. I won't hurt Alex, he's my friend."

"I'm just making sure, sweetie," he said, though he smiled as he did so.

Alex rose slowly to his feet, and after Seth had made sure Ever was balanced, the wolf took off at an easy, loping pace. After a moment of watching and listening to Ever giggle, Cailin said, "So anyway, are Mason and Shalayne talking now?"

Embry nodded. "When we'd gone wolf, we were told by Johnny, Quil, and Henry how she'd gone looking for Alex this morning because she wanted to talk to him. She found him at the cliffs."

The three boys snickered again. "What is so funny?" Bella asked.

"Shalayne's never been cliff diving," Seth explained. "When she saw Mason just drop over the edge she thought he'd fallen, so she threw herself over to try and save him."

"I think that was very noble of her, even if she didn't know he'd be alright," remarked Esme.

"Yeah, but she was in wolf form at the time," Embry pointed out. "She either phased back when she hit the water or in the air, which means she had nothing on."

Esme raised a hand to her mouth. "Oh my. She must have been so embarrassed."

"Of that I have no doubt," spoke up Jacob. "According to what we heard, they were in the water a few minutes before they both joined the link again, and went to his house as wolves together."

"She didn't go home first to get some clothes?" Cailin wondered.

Embry shook his head. "The Wonder Twins' dad put an extension on their tool shed where they could put clothes to change into if they lost theirs phasing - they call it the clubhouse. He probably let her borrow something to wear," he told her. "Anyway, as the guys told it, they were supposed to have a private conversation."

"Well, hopefully something good comes of it," Cailin said. "It would be nice if they could at least be friends."

"I think they'll go for it," observed Embry. "I mean, think about it: they're both young, both single, and they have a two-way bond. I still can't believe they've resisted getting together for as long as they have."

"If she does, she'll take it slow," Seth said with a nod. "I got to know her pretty well before she phased and everything. She's like, really independent-minded and all that, and if I understood my sister correctly, Shalayne may have accepted she's a shapeshifter pretty easy, but she ain't happy about having her choice of mate taken from her. She wants to be sure being with Mason is _her_ choice, and not the magic telling her to do it."

"At risk of offending you boys, as I know you're all quite happy with who's been chosen for you," Esme said then, "I happen to agree with Shalayne. Choosing a partner in life is one of the most monumental decisions a person can make, and to have such a fundamental choice taken away from you is tantamount to having no control over your life. Most people really despise having no control."

"That's very true, Esme," said Jacob. "And hell, I was an anti-imprinter once upon a time. But I gotta believe that the magic would never pick someone for us who _wasn't_ a perfect match. Otherwise, why would Alex, Mikah, Quil and I have imprinted on kids? There has to be a reason for it - all of it."

She smiled warmly at him. "I'm sure there is, though we may never quite understand it."

Talk turned to other subjects then, and though she joined in whenever someone spoke to her, Cailin was more content to just sit and observe as she finished her food. It was such an amazing thing to be a part of, this group of people whose lives she had entered just five short months before. Wolf and vampire, who were once natural enemies, were not only friends now - they were becoming a family. It was a beautiful thing to witness, and she felt relief that the child she carried would be a part of it.

* * *

><p>Shalayne spent most of the morning with Mason, talking to him and getting to know him better. Everything he told her she really liked; he was not only serious and considerate, he was sensitive and funny, too - he must have told her at least a dozen stories from his and Mikah's childhood that had her laughing so hard her sides hurt. Being with him was so comfortable it was as easy as breathing.<p>

There were a few times, however, that she had fallen silent, when her doubts as to whether her feelings for Mason were genuinely hers or not would creep up on her. Every time, Mason seemed to sense her need for mental solitude and would simply sit quietly next to her, holding her hand on occasion as if to say that he was ready to talk whenever she was. He really was being so patient and understanding with her that she wondered whether or not she really deserved him.

Eventually, though, she'd mentioned she needed to get home, since it was getting on to lunchtime and Leland would need to be fed.

"I swear my brother is helpless in the kitchen," she told Mason. "I have no doubt Grandfather did all the cooking when they were here by themselves. I wonder if Leah has any idea what she's in for."

Mason had laughed and offered to drive her over to her house instead of making her walk. He borrowed his mom's car (Mrs. Westerman was an accountant who worked from home) and they made the trip in just a few minutes. When he had pulled up next to the Thunderbird, Shalayne said goodbye with a smile, which Mason returned before reminding her that he would pick her up at six for their date. She got out of the car and walked up onto the porch, then turned and watched him execute a three-point turn. It was not lost on her that he had an ecstatic grin on his face as he was driving away, and she couldn't help feeling pleased that she was the reason for it.

Leland, who was seated at the dining table, looked up from the newspaper when she came inside and raised an eyebrow. "That's the second time you've come home in someone else's clothes," he remarked casually. "Am I gonna have to have a talk with this kid about his intentions towards my sister?"

Shalayne scoffed and did her utmost not to think about the incident at the cliffs, knowing Leland would _not_ be happy to hear it. "Don't you mean another talk?" she countered as she went into the kitchen, opening the refrigerator to see what they had available.

"So he told you about that, huh?"

She turned to him. "Yeah. Why didn't you?"

Leland turned to her. "Because I could sympathize with his situation - not that I haven't been supporting your position - and because he was already upset and thought if you knew he was camping out behind the house, you'd accuse him of breaking his promise. Technically he was, but at the same time, he was still staying away. He just needed to be near you."

"I know that. I told him I wasn't mad about it," she said, turning back to the fridge and pulling leftovers from last night's pasta dinner out to reheat.

"So am I gonna have to pull the big brother card on him or is there a good explanation for why you're wearing his clothes again?" Leland asked.

Shalayne groaned, turning a glare his way as she said, "You'd better not, Lee, and of course there is. Look, all this wolf stuff has been hard enough to get used to without you flipping out on the guy I've imprinted on."

He shrugged nonchalantly. "Wasn't gonna flip out on him. Kisses and hugs are fine, but I want to make sure he knows to keep it in his pants."

"Leland!" Shalayne cried, stunned to hear him talk that way. "For goodness' sake, we haven't even gone out on one date yet - give me some frickin' credit for having common sense."

"You I trust, Shae. But as nice a kid as Mason seems to be, he's still a teenage boy that's chock full of raging hormones - I should know, I was his age once," her brother said. "He may act like a gentleman, but I know he's going to be thinking about having sex with you - a lot."

She groaned again as she was pouring the spaghetti into a pan on the stove. "Leland, you are _not_ going to lecture me about boys and sex."

"Someone has to," Leland countered. "I know I'm not Dad, but I _am_ responsible for you until you graduate. You've got another year of school left and I don't want to see that complicated by an unplanned pregnancy."

"Lee, I had the sex talk with Mom ages ago. I think I remember what to do and not do." She glanced at him as she was retrieving some garlic bread from the freezer. "Besides that, I'm old enough to make my own decisions, even if I'm not a legal adult yet. If I pursue a relationship with Mason, and if - and this is a really big if - I decide to have sex with him, there's really not a whole lot you can do about it."

"Don't remind me," he mumbled. "Look, just promise me you'll be careful, should the day come. Use condoms. Go to a doctor and get some birth control pills if you have to."

"Leland," Shalayne growled, shutting the door to the oven a little harder than she intended after putting the pan with the garlic bread on the baking rack.

"Sis, I'm just trying to look out for you," Leland said then. "Believe me, this conversation is no easier for me than it is for you."

"Then let's stop having it, shall we? Sheesh, I'm barely going out with the guy and you're worried about me having sex already. That's a big leap, bro."

Silence fell for a few minutes, and she was stirring the spaghetti when Leland asked, "Are you guys going out now?"

Shalayne shrugged. "Maybe," she said. "We did a lot of talking this morning. Mason said he actually likes that I'm independent and don't let anyone dictate to me."

Leland scoffed. "Brave kid," he joked.

Ignoring him, she continued. "I told him how you said I should think about him as if our imprinting weren't a factor, and whether or not I'd like him anyway."

"What did he say about that?"

A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth as she replied. "Mason's following in your footsteps, actually. He said that our pair bond is merely emphasizing something that already existed in both of us, being that he liked me before the imprinting and I would have liked him without it, given enough time. He also believes that if we pursue a relationship, it's not just because we're bonded, it's because it's something we both want to do."

"Which I know is very important to you," Leland mused.

She nodded, and turned to retrieve plates and silverware and set them on the table. When the timer on the stove went off, signaling that the garlic bread was done, she pulled it out and set the slices on another plate, then brought it and the pot of spaghetti over to the table. Leland rose and grabbed two glasses and the iced tea as she was setting the food on the table, pouring for each of them after they were both seated. It wasn't until after they'd said Grace and started eating that Shalayne told Leland she'd agreed to go out on a date with Mason.

"May I ask what you guys are gonna do?" he asked.

"We're going to Port Angeles, where we're gonna get dinner somewhere and then we're going bowling."

"A simple date - not a bad way to start. Did you warn him about your average?"

Shalayne grinned. "I tried to warn him but he claims he can beat it, even though he hasn't been bowling in more than a year," she said.

Leland laughed. "Looks like you forgot to mention that not only can you bowl a 230, but you're the junior league champ and captain of the bowling team at school."

"Oh, I told him alright. And he's gonna wish he'd listened." She was smiling as she spoke, but then her expression turned wistful. "I'm gonna miss the bowling team. Mason said they don't have one here."

Leland looked at her for a long moment, then said, "You don't have to stay here, you know. Branson said he'd be happy to let you stay with him and Aitana if you wanted to finish school in South Dakota."

"I know. And I appreciate the offer - I won't deny that it isn't tempting."

"But?" he prompted.

"But I can't do it," Shalayne said. "We're all each other has left, and I'm not going to abandon you."

"Sis, I appreciate that you feel that way, but I'm a big boy. I've been living on my own for quite a while now, I can take care of myself," Leland said.

"I know you can," she conceded. "And I wouldn't just be doing it for you. I'd be doing it for me, too. I know that it'd only be for a year - less than that, really - and I know that I was just spouting off about being grown, but you're my big brother. I ain't quite ready to go off on my own just yet. I still need you."

Leland looked down at his plate, where he was twirling spaghetti with his fork. Shalayne watched him swallow several times, and had the distinct feeling that he was trying to reign in his emotions. She realized once more that she wasn't the only one who'd gone through hell the last few months - Leland had also been dealing with loss and dramatic changes in his life. She hoped that being here for him as a sister ought would help him cope, as his support had and was still helping her.

* * *

><p>When Mason knocked on the door at just before six, Shalayne was still in her room, putting the finishing touches on her makeup. Admittedly she was nervous - it was a first date, after all, and she really hoped what she'd chosen to wear was okay: a sleeveless, two-tone dress that was turquoise blue on the top, and from the empire waist down to her knees was a medium shade of blue denim. On her feet she wore a pair of sandals with denim-colored straps, and she'd stuffed a pair of socks into her purse to wear with her bowling shoes later. She pulled up half of her waist-length black hair and secured it with a tortoiseshell clip, and her make-up was the bare minimum of eyeliner and lip gloss. Shalayne had figured that simple would do best for a first date.<p>

She heard Leland and Leah - who'd come over to spend the evening with Lee so he wouldn't burn the house down trying to cook in her absence (so the two women had joked) - talking to Mason in the living room, and she hurriedly grabbed her purse and left her room, worried even though he'd promised to behave that Leland might just pull that big brother card. As she entered the living room she stopped short the moment her eyes found Mason, who though dressed as simply as she in a short-sleeved black button-down shirt, blue jeans, and boots, had suddenly made her mouth go dry with how damn good he looked.

His eyes found hers in the next instant and went wide the same moment his jaw went slack. "Holy moley," he said as he took a few steps toward her. "You look beautiful."

Shalayne felt herself blush as she fingered the hem of the skirt. "Thank you. It's an old dress actually - I've worn it at least a dozen times."

"And I bet it looked just as good on you the first time as it does now," Mason told her, causing her to blush even deeper.

"Alrighty then," spoke up Leland, causing them both to turn. "Be careful on the road, have fun tonight, and if anything happens to my sister I will have to kill you."

Mason laughed at the good-natured warning. Shalayne turned a narrow-eyed glare at Leland's nonchalant expression at the same time Leah punched him in the shoulder. "Lee, you promised to behave," Shalayne reminded him.

"I am behaving," he said innocently. "I'm letting him take you out aren't I?"

Although Mason chuckled again, Shalayne was on the verge of growling. She knew her brother was mostly poking fun, but she also knew that he was quite serious. Except Mason didn't need to be warned - she knew he took the responsibility of her safety very seriously. Every one of the bonded wolves, she had learned in the last two weeks, held the safety of their imprints above all else.

Even their own lives.

Having had enough of being embarrassed by her brother, Shalayne grabbed Mason by the arm and steered him toward the door. "Goodbye, Leland," she said over her shoulder.

"Be back by one a.m., alright?"

"Whatever you say, Lee," she replied without looking back, leading Mason out the door.

Mason was still chortling lightly as he opened the passenger door of his mother's car for her. When she raised her eyebrow at him, he shook his head, saying, "Your brother's a trip."

"Yeah, he's a barrel of laughs," Shalayne said sourly, tucking herself into the car and reaching for the seatbelt as he shut the door.

Mason rounded the front end and slipped into the driver's seat. After fastening his own safety belt, he put the key into the ignition and started the car up, turned it around, and headed back down the dirt drive. They were quiet until he pulled out onto First Beach Road, at which time he said, "Shalayne, I've been wondering something."

She looked over. "What's that?"

"I know it's like, absolutely none of my business, so feel free to tell me so, but I've been kinda curious ever since Leland showed up here… how can a guy his age afford to not be working? How's he paying the bills?"

"That's easy enough to answer," she said. "Mom and Dad left a little money to us, and so did Grandfather. Plus we both got a monthly stipend form the casino's profits, which will end once we officially move."

"I think I've heard of that," Mason said. "That each person on a reservation gets a share of the profits if the tribe runs a casino - but I thought you had to be actual members of the tribe? You and Leland aren't Lakota."

"Not by blood, no," Shalayne conceded. "But Lee and I are registered members of the Lakota Nation because our parents resided on tribal lands, and we were both born in the reservation hospital. That and we both have traditional Lakota names, gifted to us by the tribal shaman at my parents' request. They wanted to show their thanks for the Lakota's adoption of them into their tribe."

"A traditional name, huh? Can I ask what yours is?"

Shalayne glanced over briefly. "Sun Shines At Night," she replied. "As the story goes, the moon was full the night I was born, and so bright you didn't need lights to walk around. So I've been told, anyway. My middle name is a simplified version of that."

Mason looked over. "Which is what?" he prompted.

She grinned. "My full name is Shalayne Bright Moon Whistler."

"Bright Moon is a pretty name," Mason said.

"Thank you. Lee's Lakota name is Crows Sing In Tree, because of the mated pair that had a nest in this tree in our yard. I was told that they were singing at the moment my mother went into labor with him, and when she told that story to the shaman, that's what he used as inspiration in naming my brother. His middle name is Crow Song." She paused and chuckled. "Branson, our godfather, likes to call us by our middle names. He almost never calls me Shalayne - it's always Bright Moon."

Mason smiled. "Well, I can see why - I told you, it's a pretty name. And you're a pretty girl. Kinda goes together."

Though she felt a flush warm her cheeks, Shalayne laughed. "I think it's more because to him it's a reminder that in spite of our bloodlines, we're also Lakota, and a part of his family."

"Well, I suppose there's that, too."

"What about you?" Shalayne asked then. "What's your middle name?"

He scoffed. "Nothing as cool as Crow Song or Bright Moon, I can assure you of that," he said. "Mikah's middle name is Kwoli, the Quileute word for 'wolf' - which is kinda prophetic, now I think about it, given that he can turn into one. Mine's Q'wati, which even after eighteen years I can barely pronounce correctly."

Shalayne frowned a moment, as the name was very familiar to her. She felt certain her father had mentioned it in one of his many Quileute tribal stories, which he had often told her to get her to go to sleep when she was a little girl.

"Wait a minute!" she said, the story suddenly coming to her. "Your name is so cool - it might even be cooler than mine!"

"And how's that?" Mason asked.

"Well, if memory serves, Q'wati was known as the Transformer. He's basically the god of the Quileutes because he is the one who turned a pack of wolves into the first Quileutes and taught them right from wrong, all their cultural skills… He protected them by changing the environment so that it was livable and by ridding the land of monsters. You're named after the father of the entire tribe."

Mason blinked. "Dude, I can't believe you know that story," he said. "I'd completely forgotten about it until just now."

"My dad was Quileute, remember? He told me all kinds of tribal legends when I was a kid, most often as bedtime stories," Shalayne said. "You know, with all this wolf stuff being a part of my life now, I can't help wondering if the ability to transform from man to wolf was a part of our people long before the time of Taha Aki. Could be that Q'wati didn't just make those wolves into men, but made it so they could also become wolves again in order to protect themselves. Maybe it's one of those truths that got lost with time, or perhaps the tribe had lost the ability to transform by the time Taha Aki came around because they stopped using it or something. Maybe they thought just being able to separate their spirits from their bodies was enough."

"That actually makes sense. I mean, if our ancestors had gotten complacent because of a long period of peace they mighta stopped using their phasing abilities, and then the fact that they were shapeshifters simply faded from knowledge," Mason agreed. "And I you're right - being named after the father of our tribe is pretty cool. It's something I can be proud of."

"And is just as prophetic as Mikah being named for a wolf, since you're a transformer yourself," Shalayne added. "I've also just remembered that the Quileutes have a thunderbird legend. Branson told us a Lakota legend once about spirits that could take the form of animals and interact with the people, and one of them was the thunderbird. Daddy said that the thunderbird of Quileute lore was big enough that he could carry a whale in his claws, and his beating wings made the sound of thunder. I've seen Lee's bird form, and he's freakin' huge. Also, the Haida, my mother's people, have a creation myth involving the raven, who to them was the father of their people and the bringer of daylight. Lee's animal form is a raven and it was my mother's last name before she married my dad. Gosh, there are so many ways that what we are and what we can do can be traced back to the histories and legends of our tribes."

Mason laughed lightly, and she looked over at him. "What's so funny?"

"Your face was so animated just now, like you were really into what you were saying," he told her. "I think it's great that our tribal history means something to you."

"Why wouldn't it?" she countered. "It's a part of who I am."

At that Mason just smiled. He reached over to take her hand and she let him. They sat that way until they were pulling into the parking lot of a waterfront restaurant in Port Angeles, the signage of which declared it Smuggler's Landing.

Shalayne grinned. "How did you know I like seafood?" she joked as he was turning off the engine.

"I didn't, but it's good to know," he replied, flashing a smile and getting out of the car.

Shalayne was just opening her door when he came around and held it open for her. She smiled at him, which made him smile wider. After he'd closed the door, Shalayne started forward and Mason placed his hand at the small of her back to guide her. To her, the gesture was both platonic and protective - he would be able to draw her out of the way quickly should danger present itself.

Once inside, they were seated fairly quickly in a booth. The server handed them menus and took their drink order, then disappeared. Though she had expected the food to be a little pricey, given the décor and location of the restaurant, Shalayne's eyes still widened when she actually saw the prices.

"Good grief, Mason, can you actually afford this? I've got money, and I have no problem going Dutch on the first date," she said.

Mason shook his head. "Absolutely not," he said adamantly. "It's not that I don't appreciate the offer, but traditionally, when a guy likes a girl and he takes her on a date, he pays."

"But can you really afford it?" she pressed. "I don't mean to be insensitive or anything, but I can already tell this meal is going to cost you. We could have gone somewhere less expensive - I wouldn't have minded."

"Shalayne," he said with mock sternness. "It's okay - really. I had a little money saved up, and when my dad heard I was going out on a date with you tonight, he gave me a little extra so that I could do better than fast food. I mean, I really didn't want to take you to Burger King on the first date. That's kinda lame. I wanted it to be really nice."

For perhaps the third time that night, Shalayne felt a blush warm her cheeks. He was being so sweet, and he was so earnest in his effort to impress her. It was quite endearing.

"Thank you for trying to make this special," she said after a moment. "Though for the record, I wouldn't have cared if we went to Burger King. I happen to be rather fond of the Tendergrill."

Mason grinned. "Okay. Next time we go out you can take me to BK."

She scoffed. "You're assuming there will be a next time."

His grin widened. "Oh, I know there will be. You'll have so much fun tonight that you will be only too eager for a repeat performance," he said.

Shalayne laughed as their drinks arrived. "We'll see about that, won't we?"


	10. Crime and Confession

**10. Crime and Confession**

Dinner, Shalayne had to admit, had gone well.

Not only was the food wonderful and the service fairly fast given how busy Smuggler's Landing was, but the company couldn't be beat. Mason was being so sweet, complimenting her stories and laughing at her jokes - even when they weren't funny. She found that she really liked his smile, the way his eyes shone when he laughed, and how he really got into it when he was telling one of his own stories or jokes. And as she sat watching him during one of his stories, feeling a smile on her face, she realized that, for the first time, she wasn't questioning whether or not it was their bond making her feel that way. She honestly believed that her burgeoning feelings for Mason were genuinely hers, and that felt so good that she couldn't even put words to it.

She learned that despite all the talking they'd done earlier in the day, Mason still had the capacity to surprise her. He'd asked about the youth seminar she'd been attending before she had come over from South Dakota, which Leland had described as a "summer camp for young scholars" (according to Seth), and she had explained that it was a "glorified job and college fair aimed at teenagers with high GPAs, in the hopes of encouraging them to get degrees." Shalayne admitted that she was glad she still had a year of high school left, because it would give her the time to decide between pursuing a marketing degree or "whatever degree is required to be a highly sought-after mechanic." He was impressed that she was a girl who knew her cars.

What had surprised her, however, was his response to her question of what he was planning to do with his own future. Mason told her that he had been accepted at the University of Washington, his father's alma mater, for which he was receiving tuition assistance in the form of scholarships via the American Indian College Fund. He was going to seek a bachelor's degree in accounting so that he could go into business with his mother.

Shalayne snorted as she attempted to stifle her laughter. Mason had raised his eyebrows as he crossed his arms over his chest. "What's so funny about that?" he'd asked.

She coughed and cleared her throat before saying, "I'm sorry, I'm not making fun. It's just that you're such a big guy I find it hard to picture you being an accountant."

Mason had grinned cheekily as he sat forward again, saying, "Just imagine how damn good I'm gonna look in my suits."

Now they were at Laurel Lanes, one of the only surviving bowling alleys in the city. The lanes were busier than the restaurant had been, and for a moment they were afraid they weren't going to be able to bowl that night. As luck would have it, however, they were right on time to snag a lane that had just opened up. After getting rental shoes and bowling balls from the guest selection, they found themselves on Lane 10, next to an older couple. The lady offered a friendly greeting.

"Hello there, kids," said the woman as they were taking off their own shoes to put on the rented ones. "I'm Nancy Lewis, and this is my husband Vernon. Hope you won't mind being stuck next to a couple of old fogies like us."

Shalayne chuckled. "Not at all, Mrs. Lewis - you're here to enjoy yourselves, same as we are," she said. "I'm Shalayne Whistler and this big lug is Mason Westerman."

"Oh, Shalayne is a very pretty name," Nancy said as she looked between them. "Are you here on a date?" she asked, a hopeful gleam in her eye.

Mason grinned. "Yup. It's our first, actually."

"Oh, Vernon, did you hear that? Their first date!" She turned to the two of them excitedly. "Oh, this is so wonderful - our first date was a trip to the bowling alley, too! Of course, we were with a group of friends, but it was still a real special night. In fact, this is the forty-second anniversary of that date, and our forty-first wedding anniversary."

"Well, congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Lewis," Shalayne said as she slipped the rented shoes on over her socks. "Happy anniversary."

"Nancy, why don't you quit boring them kids and let 'em get their game started," Vernon said, looking up for the first time from the scoring terminal. Taking another look, he said, "Can I ask where you kids are from? Don't think I've seen you in here before."

"Forgive my husband's nosiness," said Nancy. "He's the manager of the bookstore at PACC, and I think he's gotten a little too used to the kids opening up to him."

"That's quite alright, Mrs. Lewis," Mason said smoothly as he slipped into the seat at the scoreboard terminal to enter his and Shalayne's names. "To answer your question, sir, I'm from La Push."

"And I'm technically from South Dakota, but I'm moving to La Push with my brother," Shalayne said. "Our father was Quileute, and my brother and I came over to get to know the tribe he came from."

Vernon Lewis brightened. "Oh, you're from the reservation? You wouldn't happen to know a young lady named Leah Clearwater, would you?"

Shalayne and Mason glanced at each other and smiled. "Yes, sir, we do. In fact, she's dating my brother," Shalayne said.

"Well good for her!" Vernon said. "She used to work for me in the bookstore at the community college - such a nice, meticulous, and dependable young lady. Would you be so kind as to tell her I said hello?"

Shalayne nodded. "I'd be happy to."

Nancy sidled over to Shalayne. "Say, are you a good bowler, hon?"

The younger woman giggled. "I've a 230 average. I've been junior league champ the last two summers and captain of my high school bowling team."

"So she says," mused Mason with a grin.

"How about you and I whip the pants off these fellas, eh? Figuratively speaking of course," Nancy asked, to which Shalayne laughed. "My husband and I have only each other to compete against most of the time, but you kids look like you can handle a little healthy competition."

Vernon looked up at his wife. "Nancy, shouldn't we compete against them together? We are on the same team, dear."

"It's okay, Mr. Lewis-let the women talk," Mason said then, offering the older man a knowing smile. "While we compete against each other in a nice, friendly game or two, we'll also be showing them who's Lord of the Lanes."

Shalayne laughed. "Oh, it's on, buster!"

And so it was. While as teams they were matched fairly evenly, the women did indeed score higher than the two men. Shalayne and Nancy had a great deal of fun teasing Vernon and Mason about their scores, at which the two men claimed they were "letting" the women score higher so as not to hurt their feelings.

"If believing that lie helps you sleep at night, you go right ahead, dear," Nancy had said to her husband with a smile.

After three games, though, Nancy and Vernon called it a night. "I'm afraid we're not as young as the two of you anymore," he said lightly.

Mason held out his hand to him. "It was a pleasure playing meeting you, sir," he said. "I had fun."

Shalayne was shaking Nancy's hand then as well. "Yes, me too. It's always more fun when there's someone to play against, I think."

"We had a wonderful time," said Nancy. "Thank you, kids, for helping make this such a memorable evening for us."

"You're quite welcome," Shalayne said. "And don't you worry, Mr. Lewis. I'll remember to give Leah your message."

Vernon nodded. "Thank you. You kids take care now."

With a wave and another smile, the older couple walked toward the exit. Mason looked down at Shalayne. "They were a lot of fun," he said.

She nodded. "They were. And they're proof that not all older people are decrepit and frail-they've obviously taken excellent care of themselves."

He reached for her hand. "They're also proof that not every relationship in this country ends in divorce."

Although she smiled in response, Shalayne raised an eyebrow at his words. "True, but let's not get ahead of ourselves, eh? You and I haven't even made it through our first date yet."

Mason laughed. "Point taken. You up for one more game before we go? Just you and me?"

Nodding, she said, "Sure, why not?"

He grinned. "Excellent. Just let me make a pit stop in the men's room, and I'll be ready to play."

Shalayne nodded and sat at the scoring terminal to wait. She thought about the last couple hours and determined that as far as first dates went, this one ranked pretty high up there. She was having so much fun-Mason had been nothing but a gentleman, deferring to her and seeing to her wants and needs, same as she had seen the other wolves do with their bondmates. The Lewises had been great fun to play with, too. The friendly competition between the couples had definitely livened up the evening, and she had a feeling that Leah would be pleased to hear her old boss had asked about her.

She was startled out of her pleasant reverie when a boy about Mason's age, give or take a year or two, suddenly appeared in front of her, leaning against the scoring terminal.

"Hey there, sexy," he said with what she assumed was supposed to be a sly grin. "How you doin'?"

Shalayne sat back in her seat, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm doing just fine, thank you," she said with forced politeness.

"Say, baby, how's about you ditch that reservation reject and come hang with a real man?" the boy asked.

Her eyes widened as her temper flared. "My boyfriend is _not_ a reject, jerkwad," she said hotly. "Why don't _you_ get lost?"

His too-friendly expression fell, becoming angry and more than a little sinister as he straightened. "I don't think you're getting the message, babe. I want you, and you're gonna come with me."

As he spoke he reached out and grabbed her roughly by the arm, jerking her to her feet. Shalayne felt her limbs trembling as the violence of the action stirred the wolf inside her. She could feel her animal side awakening, could feel the heat in her limbs as her muscles began to tremble.

Her attacker grinned. "Now that's more like it. You're shaking with anticipation already - and you should be. I've got a package that'll - "

He didn't get to finish that statement. A fist he didn't see coming at him - Shalayne's - connected with his jaw in a hard punch, and he reflexively let go of her arm as he was knocked unconscious and fell to the floor. At that same moment Mason came barreling over, and she nearly hit him, too, when he took her by the shoulders, but when she saw who had touched her, she instead threw her arms around his neck, holding him tightly.

"Sweetheart, are you alright?" he asked roughly, holding her away from him after a moment. "That fucker didn't hurt you, did he?"

Shalayne shook her head. "No. He grabbed my arm, but that's it."

The two of them turned as the man from behind the shoe counter approached. "I've called the police," he said. "They'll be here soon."

Shalayne groaned, and Mason drew her to him again, his arm going around her shoulders as hers snaked around his waist. "Might wanna call them back and let them know they're picking up three losers, not just one. I got jumped in the men's room by two other fucktards, no doubt friends of this jackass," Mason said, viciously kicking the leg of the unconscious boy on the floor. "Both of them are out cold, too."

"Oh, they are - friends I mean," said the man, as several onlookers muttered. "I actually called the cops as soon as they showed up a couple minutes ago, about the time your lane mates were leaving. These three come in here all the time, harassing women. They're banned but they keep coming back - only thing we can do when we see them is call the police."

"Oh god, the police!" Shalayne moaned. "We're going to have to talk to them, aren't we?"

"If you want to press charges, I'm afraid so," said the alley employee.

She turned her face into Mason's chest. "Leland is going to be so pissed."

Moments later the police arrived, and the employee - whose name was Steve - notified them that the other two were in the bathroom. An ambulance was called to meet the three assailants outside at the patrol cars; all three had been knocked unconscious but were coming around as they were each being hauled off the floor and handcuffed. Once they had been taken outside away from the crowd of bowlers, one of the officers came up to Shalayne and Mason and took their statements.

Mason spoke first, answering each question the officer asked, detailing each moment of the assault in the men's room. Shalayne cringed when he described how one of the boys had dragged his arms behind his back so the other could punch him, even though she knew that his size and strength were more than a match for two scrawny teenage boys. When the officer turned to Shalayne and asked her what had happened by the lanes, she repeated everything the attacker had said before he grabbed her arm and she had hit him. She felt Mason tremble as she spoke, and her hearing picked up a sound that the noise of the bowling had obscured from the officer's ears - a low-frequency growl; hearing he'd been called a "reservation reject" hadn't bothered Mason, but the fact that she had been grabbed had clearly pissed him off.

The officer flipped his notebook closed. "Alright kids. I won't make you do it tonight, since it's getting late and you've got a drive ahead of you. But you will need to come back up here tomorrow, and check in at the station so you can review and sign your official statements. Miss Whistler, since you're still a minor, you'll need to bring your parent or guardian with you."

Her eyes widened, a shot of fear spiking through her at just the thought of telling Leland what had happened, but she nodded. The officer thanked the two of them and turned around to leave. Mason and Shalayne followed close behind, all thoughts of a fourth game forgotten.

At the car, Mason opened her door for her without a word, shutting it behind her after she slipped into her seat. A moment later he was behind the wheel and pulling them out of the parking lot. Tense silence permeated the air in the car; Mason sat stiffly in the driver's seat and Shalayne sat staring out her window, one arm wrapped around herself and the other raised to her mouth to chew on her thumbnail.

"Are you alright?" Mason asked after several minutes' time.

Shalayne shrugged. She didn't really want to talk about what had happened. She'd been having such a good time, and now it all felt ruined. She hadn't felt afraid of her attacker at all - the only thing that had scared her was the thought of telling her brother.

Mason reached a hand over and gently laid it on her shoulder. She moved her right hand over to rest atop his, sighing as she said quietly, "Leland is going to go postal."

"He's that protective of you, huh?"

She scoffed. "Let me put it to you this way: There are rumors still to this day all over Lower Brule that he paid off two kids to beat up other kids that picked on me because he was too old to fight them himself - once when I was in the second grade and again when I was fifteen. When I was eight, I got pushed off the swings at school and twisted my ankle, and the boy that did it came to school the next day with a black eye. Two years ago, I was hanging out with my friends at McDonald's after school and this jock who liked playing more than one field smacked my ass as I was walking by his table on the way to the bathroom - next day he had a cast on that hand. No one involved has ever pointed the finger at him, but Lee had already made it pretty clear from the moment I could walk that no one was to mess with me. I guess he'd put up with a fair amount of bullying when he was younger."

Shalayne shrugged again as she pulled his hand down into her lap and held it between both of hers. "My brother's always been fairly over-protective. I think it has something to do with the age difference - there are more years between me and him than there are between Leah and Seth."

Another silence fell, broken by Mason a few minutes later when he said, "So I'm your boyfriend now, huh?"

"What?"

He laughed. "You said you told that dickwad that was coming onto you that your boyfriend wasn't a reject. I can only assume you meant me."

When she looked over at him, Shalayne saw that he was grinning. Chuckling, she gave his hand a squeeze, saying, "Well, definitely not a reject. As to the other part, I did kinda say that hoping he would leave me alone, but now you mention it… If we can go on a date that doesn't end with us talking to the police, I'll think about making it official."

She could practically feel the joy radiating off of him when she said that, and the smile on his face was so bright that she couldn't help but smile herself. Thinking about it, she realized that what she had said, calling him her boyfriend, had actually felt good. It felt right, even if she had, at the time, only said it to try and drive away that jerk at the bowling alley. Shalayne knew in her heart of hearts that she really did like Mason on her own and that her feelings for him were already getting stronger-also on their own, without any help from their bond. And when she allowed herself to think about the bond, she simply felt infused with peace. Though she still wanted to be cautious, to take things slowly, being with Mason was definitely something she wanted…

…and that felt really, really good to admit.

* * *

><p>It was Rosalie who carried her upstairs the final time that night. Cailin sighed, secretly wishing it were Embry's arms she'd been cradled in, but he'd received a call from his mother about a busted pipe under the sink earlier in the evening, so he'd gone home to try and fix it so his mom wouldn't have to call a plumber. He'd been so attentive and sweet all day, obviously making every effort to make up for the two weeks he'd been a jerk, and she already missed his presence - he was the only person she didn't mind having wait on her hand and foot.<p>

After stopping in the bathroom to bathe, Rose took her into her room and helped her pull a nightgown over her head, before she settled down under a light blanket.

"Rosalie," she called out as the vampire was about to leave. "Can I ask you a question?

Rosalie turned back and came to sit on the edge of the bed. She smiled as she did so, and Cailin suspected she was pleased to have been asked to stay. They had talked numerous times since the night she had offered to let her be mother to her baby, but Rosalie never failed to look ecstatic about talking to her. It didn't even matter if the subject was not the baby - the older woman honestly seemed to enjoy spending time with her, getting to know her. The other members in the family had expressed their thanks countless times to Cailin over the last two weeks, saying that they had noticed such a change in Rose, and the baby she would soon call hers was the reason for it.

Cailin couldn't say for sure if Rose really had changed as she hadn't known her well before this happened. She only knew that Rose listened to her fears and insecurities and didn't judge. She didn't try to placate her and tell her everything would be okay. Like Esme and even Bella on occasion, she would simply sit and listen, offer her opinion when asked, and even take her mind off her worries with inane chatter whenever she sensed Cailin was becoming overwhelmed.

"You can ask me anything," Rosalie replied to her query.

Cailin studied her golden eyes in the dim light filtering through the windows for a long moment. Right now, she knew, Rosalie was as happy as she'd ever been in her life, both as a human and as a vampire. But she hadn't always been happy to be a vampire, mostly due to her inability to have children. Something Cailin had often wondered had sat in the back of her mind since the night Embry had told her the truth about himself and the existence of vampires, and suddenly she found that she had to know the answer.

"There's something I've been wondering," she began, "for a while now - about you, actually."

Rosalie's eyebrows winged up. "Really?" she countered. "What's that?"

"Well, I know that from the beginning, you've not been too happy being what you are because of everything you had to give up," Cailin went on. "It's all the same things I don't want to give up, and it's why I'm praying your _da_ can really deliver this baby safely and keep me human afterward."

She cleared her throat then and plunged ahead, even though she was suddenly nervous about asking. "I also know that a vampire can be killed, and so I've been wondering… If you were so miserable, why did you never try to end it for good? I know neither Carlisle nor Esme would have done it, but given what you've told me 'bout your relationship with Edward back then, had you picked a fight with him he might well have been inclined to oblige you. And even if he wouldn't, you could always have sought out some other vampire and got into a row with them."

Rosalie chuckled lightly as she looked down at her milky white hands, which she held loosely in her lap. She was silent for a long moment, so long that Cailin began to fear she had offended her. She also began to wonder if Rose might not reply because anything she said on the matter would be overheard by the other vampires in the house, as well as Jacob - whose hearing was nearly as acute as theirs. And although she knew each member of the Cullen family respected each other enough to do their best not to eavesdrop on private conversations, this one they might well be inclined to listen in on - it was quite possibly a question they'd all longed to know the answer to.

"The easiest answer to give," Rosalie said at long last, "would be to say Emmett is the reason I've never tried to 'end it for good.'"

Cailin frowned. "But wasn't there two years between when you were changed and when you found him in the woods?"

Rosalie nodded. "That's why I said it would be the easiest answer," she replied. "He's certainly the only thing that's kept me going ever since, the only thing that's made this endless existence worth living - not that I don't love the rest of the family, of course. But before Emmett came along…"

She sighed even though Cailin knew perfectly well she would have no need to. It sometimes surprised her that the vampires continued their human charade even when they knew they didn't have to keep pretending, though she supposed it was all to keep themselves in the habit of acting human when people actually were around.

Rose's gaze wandered to the floor-to-ceiling windows. "Before Emmett," she went on, "I was really depressed. I tried hard not to show it, putting on a brave face and all that, because I really was grateful to be alive even if it was the wrong kind of alive. Who would want to get beaten and raped to death, after all? And honestly," she went on, looking back down at Cailin, "there were times I did consider picking a fight with Edward so he'd have an excuse to kill me all the way and get my misery over with."

She shrugged her thin shoulders listlessly. "But I never went through with it. I often told myself that the reason was because I was happy about being young and beautiful forever - Edward thought I was vain and selfish, so why not play it to the hilt? And I _was_ vain and selfish; a part of me really was glad I would never get old, that I would always be pretty. How self-centered is that?"

Cailin felt herself smile lightly. "There's an old Chinese proverb what says 'Youth is wasted on the young'," she said.

"Try telling that one to a vampire older than Carlisle," Rosalie quipped, then imitated another sigh. She looked back down at her hands as she said, "But the truth is, I was too much of a coward to commit suicide. I feared the pain - as much as I wished to be human again, I never wanted to go through anything like what I suffered on the last night of my human life. As vampires we don't feel pain the way humans do, but my early education in this life included the lesson that we do, in fact, feel pain when sufficient force is applied to our limbs by another vampire. And it's supposedly much, _much_ worse than the worst pain a human could ever feel. I know the worst pain a human can feel - I've experienced it firsthand.

"I also…I also was afraid of what being _really_ dead meant. I was raised to believe in God and Heaven when I was human, but when I was hurt by the man who was supposed to love me, when I found out I wasn't human anymore, I found myself wondering what kind of God would allow any of that to happen. I wondered what I had done that was so horribly wrong that I deserved to suffer like that, or that I deserved to suffer an eternity as a vampire without the love of a good man or children to call my own. I began to fear that there was no Heaven, or that if there was, I was never going to get there. I was so desperately afraid that if I was to get myself killed, there would be absolutely nothing - that I would cease to exist as if I had never been. And being the vain, self-centered bitch everyone knows and loves," she added with a smile, "I couldn't stand the thought of becoming nothing at all."

"I think, Rosalie, that simply ceasing to exist as if we had never been is something humans and vampires have in common," Cailin said slowly. "No one knows what comes when we die - we can only hope that it's something better than we have here."

She sighed herself then and lowered a hand to rest on her enormous belly. She knew that there would likely be some pain during her recovery if she survived the birth - for that matter, there had been pain _during_ the pregnancy, though the child could hardly be faulted for it. Cailin, having grown up Irish Catholic, didn't fear that there was nothing after this life (her faith assured her there was) as much as she feared not being here for Embry. She dreaded death not because she was afraid to die, but because she was afraid to leave him all alone.

_Don't be afraid_.

Cailin blinked. "Don't what?" she said.

Rosalie raised an eyebrow. "I didn't say anything."

_No, I did. Don't be afraid_, mháthair. _You'll be fine_.

Cailin gasped and sat upright, moving so fast into a sitting position that Rosalie reached out to catch her by the shoulders. "Cailin, what is it? Are you going into labor?" she asked, alarm in her voice.

Even as the words were leaving her mouth, Carlisle and Emmett came bursting through the door. "Cailin, are you alright?" the two men said at the same time.

Both hands were resting on her rounded belly, and Cailin stared straight ahead for a moment, barely breathing as she turned wide eyes toward them. "I - I think…" she began, feeling her heart pounding.

_Your heart is beating so fast. Did I scare you? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to_.

Cailin let out a soft cry that brought Carlisle to one knee on the left side of the bed, taking her hand in his to check her pulse as Emmett moved to stand at Rosalie's side, both of them wearing alarmed expressions.

"Your pulse is elevated," Carlisle murmured. "Cailin, please talk to me. Tell me what's happening."

As she looked at him, twin tears fell from her eyes. Her bottom lip trembled as she said in a soft, almost frightened voice, "Please get Edward. He can - he can - "

Her stuttering halted when Edward suddenly appeared in the doorway. "I heard you asking for me," he said, his voice concerned as he stepped into the room. "What do you need?"

"Listen to 'im," she said. "I - I could have sworn I… Or maybe I'm finally going crazy from the stress, because…"

_I_ did _scare you. I'm sorry_, mháthair. _Please don't be upset. I just wanted to talk to you. I never did it before_.

Edward's eyes grew wide as he looked at her. "Did you hear that?"

Cailin suspected her own expression was a mirror image of his as she slowly nodded.

Carlisle looked between them, his own eyes widening slightly in disbelief. "Edward?" he prompted softly.

Edward turned his head to look at him. "I believe the child is already proving to have a gift. He was projecting his thoughts."

"I didn't hear anything," Rosalie spoke up, confusion in her voice.

Her brother glanced at her briefly before returning his gaze to Cailin. She looked down at her hands resting on her protruding abdomen as he said, "Perhaps it is because he wasn't talking to you - his thoughts were directed at Cailin. He believes he has frightened her by doing so."

"I - I'm not afraid," she said slowly. "Stunned would be more like it."

_You're not mad at me?_

She gasped a little as the tiny voice, sounding distant although it was so close, spoke to her again. "No, wee one," she replied hesitantly. "I'm just…really surprised."

"Dude, this is wicked!" Emmett exclaimed. "Kid's got a gift!"

"And is already able to use it," Carlisle added, smiling at Cailin as he stood. "That he can project his thoughts while still in utero is nothing short of astounding. It's truly fascinating to me that of his six offspring, Joham sired four that have developed a supernatural talent. Simply remarkable."

_I want to hear my daddy again. I like his voice a lot_.

Cailin and Edward both chuckled on hearing the child again, both turning their eyes to Emmett. "Emmett," she said. "The wee one wants you to speak. He likes his daddy's voice a lot."

Emmett's eyes widened and his mouth fell open. "He…he said that? And called me Daddy? Did he really?"

Cailin grinned and nodded as the baby cried out _Yay! That's my daddy - you said he was my daddy and he said he was my daddy!_

"Aye, wee one, we did," she replied with a chuckle.

"What did he say now?" Rosalie asked. She was grinning as well as she held Emmett's hand.

"That Emmett is his daddy."

Emmett threw his head back and hollered "Whoo! God, I love this kid!"

_I love you too, Daddy_.

"Sweeting, you should tell him that, not me," Cailin said, rubbing a hand over where she felt the baby's head. "Do you think you can do that?"

_I will try_. A moment later, Emmett stepped forward and dropped to his knees, his eyes wider still as he reached tentatively forward and placed his huge hands ever so gently on Cailin's stomach.

"I love you little guy," he said softly.

"Do…do you think he'll talk to me?" Rosalie asked, then gasped and smiled.

Edward chuckled. "I guess that answers your question," he said.

Rosalie reached forward and placed a hand over one of Emmett's. "He…he called me Mommy," she said breathlessly. "Oh, God, if I could cry my eyes would be pouring buckets."

"You and me both, babe," said Emmett. "Ain't it frickin' cool we can already have a conversation with our baby?"

"It is," she replied with a grin, then looked toward where their hands rested. "Well of course it is, baby… No, I'm not mad. If it weren't for her we wouldn't have you. I could never be mad that you feel that way."

"What's he saying?" Emmett asked.

Rosalie glanced at him, then at Cailin. "The baby just asked me if it was okay that he loved you."

"He…he loves me, too?" Cailin stammered, her bottom lip trembling again.

_Is that okay? You're my_ mháthair. _That's my special word just for you. It means 'mother'_.

Cailin chuckled lightly. "I know what that means, little one - where do you think you heard it from?" she said aloud.

_Can I call you_ mháthair_? Can I love you, too?_

She glanced at Rosalie, who wore a small smile, and at Emmett, who wore his trademark grin. Then Cailin looked down at her belly once more, where all three of them had laid their hands. The symbolism was not lost on her that they had all practically joined hands over this tiny miracle, and for the very first time since she had realized she was pregnant, Cailin felt a weight lift from her. All her fears, all her doubts, all her uncertainty vanished with those two simple questions, and in that moment she allowed herself to begin to feel something for the child within her.

"I would be most pleased if you did," she said at last.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: My apologies to those of you following this story that it took me so long to post a new chapter. I kinda hit a brick wall of writer's block after I'd finished the first half and couldn't figure out how to begin the second half. Hope you think it was worth the wait. ~ Christina<strong>


	11. It Is Time

**11. It Is Time  
><strong>

"Do you want me to talk to him with you?"

Mason had asked her that question the night before when he had pulled up in front of the darkened house. Leland had left the porch light on for her, but the windows to the inside were unlit.

"I'm sure he'll want to talk to you eventually," she'd replied. "Get your side of it. But I should probably break the news to him myself."

Mason had nodded, and they had gotten out. He walked with her up to the porch, waited while she had unlocked and then opened the door. Then he had drawn her against his chest and held her for a moment, saying nothing, and when he had stood back, she could see in his eyes how much he wanted to kiss her. In truth, she had wanted him to, but Shalayne was surprised when, instead of pressing his lips to hers, Mason had simply leaned forward and pressed his lips to her brow. He then released her, took another step back, and said, "Goodnight, Shalayne."

She'd smiled tentatively, nodded, and said, "Goodnight, Mason. I had a good time, you know, except for that whole police getting involved part."

He grinned. "Yeah, me too. I'll see you tomorrow. Go on and get inside now."

Shalayne chuckled as she shook her head, thinking that he sounded like her brother then. She'd stepped through the screen door and turned around to watch him walk back out to his mother's car, get inside, and drive away. For a moment, her heart had ached a little at seeing him go, the wolf inside her crying out at her mate's departure. Then she had sighed, shutting the inside door and turning the deadbolt, reminding herself as she trudged back to her room that it was only for the night. She would see him again tomorrow.

Several minutes later, after she had changed into nightclothes and was settling into bed, she wondered if Mason might feel compelled to sleep in the woods behind her house again, as he had done the last two weeks. She found the thought comforting, and imagined him there as she drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, despite getting in late, Shalayne was up at her usual time. She found herself looking out the small window in the kitchen that looked out over the back yard, and though she scanned the woods thoroughly, she saw no sign of Mason. Either he hadn't camped out (and why should he, really? she chided herself), or he was already gone. With a sigh, she turned to get breakfast started.

She was setting the table when Leland walked sleepily into the kitchen, heading straight for the coffee as usual. At the sight of him she tensed, the events at the bowling alley flooding back. She knew that if she didn't show up to sign her statement, the police in Port Angeles might call the house. That would really set Leland off, so she might as well do the smart thing and tell him herself.

But not before he'd had his coffee.

She waited until they were both settled at the table and ready to eat before she broached the subject. "Um, Leland…"

Shalayne was interrupted by a knock at the door. As had become habit for both of them, she and Leland sniffed the air flowing in through the open windows, and he shook his head at the huge grin that sprang to her lips as they both detected Mason's scent.

Leland gestured with his coffee cup. "You may as well go get it. He ain't here to see me."

_That's what you think_, she mused as she stood and walked to the door. Opening it, her grin grew to a full smile as she took in the tall, handsome visage before her. Mason smiled at her, though his eyes asked her a question. Shalayne shook her head as she pushed open the screen door to admit him. She wished for a moment that the telepathy they shared as wolves carried over into their human forms, as she'd have told him then that his being here wasn't necessary-though she was secretly pleased he had come even though she had said as much last night. Mason sighed as he stepped inside, leaning to place a light kiss on her cheek.

"Good morning, Shalayne," he said with a smile, then looked across the room to the older man at the dining table. "Morning, Leland."

"Morning, Mason," Leland said with a nod as Shalayne was leading the way back to the table. "What brings you by so early - or do I need to ask?"

Shalayne glanced at Mason as she resumed her usual seat, with Mason taking the chair at the end, opposite her brother. She then turned back to Leland to find him looking at her expectantly.

"What's going on?" he asked. "You're both tense, I can tell. Just spit it out."

"Um, well…" Shalayne began nervously. "We do have something to tell you. It's nothing too serious or anything, really, so please, Lee, try to remain calm, okay?"

"Shae," he began, clasping his hands together in front of him with his elbows resting on the table, "The longer you hesitate, the more likely I am to get upset. Just tell me what happened."

With another glance at Mason, who nodded encouragingly, Shalayne drew a breath and told Leland about the assault at the bowling alley. His eyes flew to Mason at one point, but he remained silent until she had finished.

"You decked him?" he asked after a long moment of silence.

"She knocked him out," Mason said, speaking up for the first time.

"And they're in jail?"

Shalayne nodded. "All three of them, I believe. The cop we talked to said that Mason and I have to go into the police station today to sign our statements. I'm supposed to bring you with me since I'm still a minor, and you're my legal guardian."

"Saves me from having to kick their asses, then," Leland said.

"Leland, come on," Shalayne said. "I told you it was nothing serious."

"I don't care. You're my baby sister no matter how old you are, and ain't no one allowed to lay hands on you, Shalayne." He looked across the table then. "Best you keep that in mind, kid."

Shalayne watched Mason scowl and turned back to her brother. "Lee, that was unnecessary. Apologize to Mason."

"Shae, I should not have to remind you that it's my job to protect you - "

"Not anymore, it's not," Mason spoke up. "It's my job now. And I would never lay a hand on Shalayne in anger."

"Your job?" Leland said, sitting back with a scoff, crossing his arms over his chest as he regarded the other man. "Do you really think you can keep her safe? Where were you last night when she was getting manhandled by that prick _she_ had to lay out?"

"In the men's room, laying out his pals who had jumped me so he could approach her," Mason fired back, his voice edged with anger. "Had he not already been out cold on the floor when I got back to her, I'd probably be in the cell next door to theirs. Only my charge would be murder, as I'd have killed the fucker. He got off easy."

Shalayne sat glued to her seat, stunned into silence for a moment as it registered that her brother and her possible boyfriend were posturing over whose job it was to protect her. Jiminy Cricket, did they really think her incapable of actually protecting herself? Was she not a mystical shapeshifting skinwalker?

Snapping out of her reverie, she planted her hands on the table and pushed to her feet, drawing their attention away from each other and toward her. "You know what I think? I think I'm quite capable of protecting myself," she said slowly. "Not only do I know a little martial arts, I have that whole increased-strength-because-I'm-a-skinwalker thing going on. I mean, I _did_ knock out a guy who easily had at least thirty pounds on me. This isn't the old times when our people were living in grass huts and tee-pees and the women were expected to stay there to cook, make clothes, and take care of the kids while the men-folk did all the hunting and protecting of hearth and home."

Mason and Leland both sat staring at her with wide eyes. "Shae," Leland began, but she held up her hand to silence him.

"I know I told you yesterday that I still needed you, and I meant that," she went on. "But what I meant by it was that I need you to be here for me emotionally. To continue helping me deal with the deaths of our parents and Grandfather, to help me deal with the truth about Aitana - to help me deal with the truth about _us_. I want your support when I make a decision that will affect the rest of my life, but I _don't_ want you dictating to me what decisions I'm allowed to make. Like it or not, Leland, I'm not a kid anymore. I'm at an age where even Mom and Dad had started letting me go and grow up on my own. You have to accept that some of the decisions I make are going to be wrong, that I'm going to make mistakes. But they'll be my mistakes to make, and to learn from. And you have got to recognize that I am not only grown, but capable of protecting and taking care of myself."

She turned to Mason without missing a beat. "And you - I appreciate that you believe you are now responsible for me, for protecting me from harm. I know that's the wolf inside you metaphorically marking his territory, wanting to protect what's his. As much as I try to fight it and make sure what I feel for you is my own choice, I feel the same way about you. You're mine, and I already know that I would do whatever was necessary to protect and defend you. But you also have to accept that I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself. It's not your 'job' to take care of me any more than it is my brother's. Your job - his job - isn't to stand in front of me. It's to stand beside me."

Shalayne paused again, and after picking up her plate of food and her silverware, she stood back from the table, saying, "You guys didn't seem to have a problem getting along before I decided to give Mason a chance, so I don't see any reason for you to treat each other differently now that I have. This thing you're doing right now is not only hurtful to me, it's just plain ludicrous. Get over yourselves and let me know when you're ready to act like adults."

With that said, she walked away from both of them, through the living room, and out onto the porch. Leah was just coming up the drive as she sat on the porch swing with her eggs and bacon, but she made no move to eat.

"Hey, you alright?" Leah asked as she stepped onto the porch, moving to sit beside her.

Shalayne took a deep breath. "Mason and I were attacked at the bowling alley in Port Angeles last night," she said. Leah's eyes widened, but she remained silent. "Anyway," she went on, "the three idiots all went to jail. Mason knocked out the two that jumped him in the men's room and I got to deck the jerk that came onto me at the lanes."

"Good for you," Leah said with a grin. "Being so new to shifting, I'm rather proud of you for not phasing."

"I am too, actually," the younger woman said. "But even though it happened pretty fast, I remember thinking how much my wolf wanted to come out, but I couldn't let her. I can only imagine what kind of trouble it would cause for the tribe, and I could never let that happen. And then Mason was there and she went quiet again, like all I needed was to see him to know that everything would be alright."

"Is that what's bothering you?" Leah asked, causing her to turn toward her. "Shalayne, I know how you feel about the imprinting process, how you wanted the choice of your lifemate to be your own and all that - "

She shook her head. "No, that's not the problem. Men and their damned egos are the problem."

Leah glanced toward the house just behind them. "Mason's here. And you guys told Lee about last night," she said, to which Shalayne nodded. "And now they're butting heads over whose job it is to protect you?"

"As if I freaking need it!" Shalayne cried. "Oh my God, Leah, you'd think I was frickin' twelve years old or something! I've taken self-defense training and I got the wolf thing, and they both know that so it's not like I freaking need protection."

Leah put a hand on her shoulder and patted it sympathetically. "Sister, you are preaching to the choir. I got the same treatment from Lee the night we learned what happened to Sierra, when Collin had gone postal and Jake and Sam had to fight with him. I got it again after my foolhardy attempt to rescue Cailin on my own. The thing is, I don't believe either Leland or Mason think you incapable of protecting yourself. Considering how lethal you are now, they may be just a little afraid of what you're capable of. And I'm sure that even without the wolf, you'd be more than able to hold your own in a fight.

"But honey, they're men. And deep down - I swear, it's in their genes - men have this undeniable drive to protect the women they love. Each man that feels responsible for a woman is going to feel it's his obligation to keep her safe, and in your case, there are two. There's Leland, who has found himself legally responsible for you as well as being your big brother, and there's Mason, who liked you before imprinting on you and now because of it can think of almost nothing else except making sure you never get hurt."

Shalayne pushed the food on her plate around with her fork. "It's so hard to remain independent when I suddenly feel like they're both breathing down my neck. Does it get any easier? I mean, you kinda have the same problem as me, a brother and a boyfriend who both think you need looking after."

Leah laughed. "Yeah, I do. And I think what worked for me was accepting that I'm probably never going to change how they feel, as well as doing my best to remain true to myself in spite of their smothering."

"I told them I didn't want them to stand in front of me; I wanted them to stand beside me," Shalayne said then.

"And we will," Mason said, startling her with his voice as he was pushing the screen door open to step out onto the porch, followed by Leland. Leah rose from the swing Leland had made for her so that Mason could take her place.

"I'm sorry about what happened," he said, leaning forward to brace his elbows on his knees as he looked at her.

"So am I, sis," Leland added. "You're right - I like Mason and we got along just fine before you two became an item, no reason I should treat him any different after. It's just…"

Shalayne looked up. "Just what, Lee?"

Leland, who'd settled himself against the porch railing, Leah by his side, flicked his eyes at Mason before returning them to look into her gaze. "It's just that I've always felt responsible for you, protective of you. Maybe because of our age difference, I don't know. But I have, and having to admit that you're growing up and _really_ on the verge of being your own person is kinda scary."

She grinned lightly. "You know, Dad said almost exactly the same thing to me just a few weeks before… Anyway, at least the part about me growing up and being my own person."

Leland returned her smile. "It's also difficult for me to accept that you're becoming a woman who's going to want to spend time with a man, dating and…all that. That one day you're going to get married, and that - traditionally, at any rate - I'll be required to relinquish my rights as your protector and trust some other man to look after you and keep you safe. Being a shifter myself, I understand what drives Mason now that he's bonded to you." He paused and drew a breath. "I also believe him when he says he'd feel the same way about you without the imprint."

Shalayne frowned, looking between them. "You lost me."

Mason reached over and took her left hand in his. "What he means is I told him I'd want to protect you even if there was no bond," he said softly. "I know that we don't know each other well, and I know you want to be sure our feelings for each other are not just a result of our bond, especially your own - but based on what I do know about you, and the time I've spent learning all that, I know that I'd still feel like I do right now, which is that I will do everything in my power to make sure nothing ever happens to you. There's one thing Leland and I can agree on - we care a lot about you. You've been through so much lately and all we want to do is make sure you don't have to do any more suffering."

"At the same time," Leland said, "we both recognize that you are extremely independent minded, and that too much of this protective desire of ours is like to do nothing more than make you mad and push you away. We both need to let you be who you are, and we both know - "

"At least we hope," Mason said with a grin.

Leland grinned as well. " - that you'd never do anything that's a blatant disregard for your personal safety."

Leah scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "That 'at least we hope' bit, I'm sure you know, is a not-so-subtle reminder to me that I took off to face three bloodsuckers without telling him or taking him with me."

"Leah," Leland began, but she silenced him by unfolding her arms to wrap them around his waist and planting a quick kiss on his lips.

"I know it was a mistake," she said. "A costly one, since Collin died as a result of my foolishness. And it could have been worse. I learned my lesson, stud, believe me. But I think I can safely say that I don't think Shalayne's likely to be that stupid."

"We'll stand beside you, not in front of you," Mason said, giving Shalayne's hand a gentle squeeze. "At least, we'll _try_ not to stand in front of you."

Shalayne smiled, then on impulse leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Good thing. I'd just bowl your macho asses over anyway," she said, at which they all laughed. She then stabbed her fork into the chilling food on her plate, and added, "Now can I eat my breakfast so we can get the trip to the Port Angeles Police Department over with?"

* * *

><p>The events of Mason and Shalayne's first date became the talk of the pack for the next few days. Questions were asked and jokes were made every time the two encountered one of the other wolves, so the two of them did their best to avoid the others whenever possible. Their story was fodder not only for pack gossip - it spread across the reservation as well, so by the second day, the two had taken to visiting with Jacob, Seth, and Embry over at the Cullen house just to get away from prying questions.<p>

Jacob had thanked them both for coming the first time, as the story of their first date had provided a distraction for Embry and Cailin. Her child would be born in just a few days, and the air in the house was so thick with tension that Jasper was constantly using his ability to control emotions to keep everyone calm.

Then the day of the birth arrived - it was July 30th, and everyone knew that there was no way any other thought would get into anyone's head. Nearly the entire pack had gathered in the back yard in a show of support for Embry, though it was not lost on any of the wolves that the number present might well be required to contain him should the worst happen - especially given that Embry was not allowed in the makeshift hospital room during the surgery. He'd wanted to be there but Dr. Cullen had forbidden it, saying that if things did not go as planned, he and Edward would need space and quiet to save Cailin. The presence of an angry, distraught wolf would not be helpful in that regard.

In fact, the house was to be empty of everyone except for those in the operating room, which would be Cailin, Dr. Cullen, Edward (who would be assisting with the surgery), and Rosalie. The inclusion of Rose - her presence a last minute request of Cailin's - had been debated thoroughly, the main question being would she be strong enough to not react to the scent of Cailin's blood as she had during Renesmée's birth three years before. Even Rosalie had been hesitant, despite her obvious desire to be present for the birth. But it was Cailin's calm certainty that Rosalie would not allow herself to be a threat to her or the baby that settled the matter. She believed that not only was Rose strong enough, but that she _had_ to be there - as the one who would be raising the baby, it was only right she would be the first to hold the child. Rosalie had gone hunting with Emmett the night before to fill herself up, hoping that two stags were enough to distract her from the smell of Cailin's human blood.

Embry had insisted on carrying Cailin into the room and sitting her on the bed, and he had stayed a moment just looking into her eyes and telling her how much he loved her. She'd smiled back and placed a hand on his cheek, told him she loved him, too, and not to worry. She would see him as soon as the surgery was over. He hadn't wanted to leave when Dr. Cullen said it was time to begin, and had to be escorted out by Jacob and Seth.

As the two of them brought him down the steps, several of the pack surrounded him, offering words of encouragement. The mood among the gathered wolves and vampires was tense and the air quiet. Jacob had moved to stand next to Leah, who stood with Leland, Shalayne, and Mason staring toward the house, when his cell phone rang. He growled as he pulled it from his back pocket, though his voice was neutrally calm as he flipped it open and put it to his ear, saying, "Hey, Sam, what's up?"

"I know that today's the day of Cailin's surgery, so I won't keep you. I just thought I would let you know that we may have more than one new life among us by the end of the day," Sam said.

Jacob's eyes grew large and he turned toward Leah with a huge grin. "You mean to tell me Emily's gone into labor?" he asked.

Sam's voice was full of nerves and pride as he responded. "She has - this is it, Jake. I'm going to be a father soon!"

"Why aren't they stopping the labor? Doesn't she have like, a week to go?"

"She does, but when Sue checked her, she was already three centimeters dilated. Plus, her water's broken, which means there's no stopping it now. All the tests Em's had to go through in the last few weeks said the baby is healthy and ready. But I admit, I'm not sure I am," Sam said with a chuckle.

Jacob laughed. "I'm sure you'll do fine. You want me to send a few of the guys to meet you at the hospital for some moral support? Or maybe Leah?"

"I appreciate it, but no. I know you're going to need everyone on hand if…if things go badly for Cailin. Emily will understand. Besides, I'm told that with a first baby, it could be tomorrow before he - or she - comes. I'll let you know if anything changes."

"Alright, if you're sure," Jacob told him. "We'll keep you posted as well. Good luck, Sam. Give Emily my love."

"I will. May the ancestors smile on us all today," Sam said, then clicked off.

"Emily's in labor?" Leah asked as Jacob was closing his phone.

He nodded confirmation. "Yup. Sam said her water broke, so even though there's a week to go it can't be stopped."

"Are we sending anyone to meet them at the hospital?"

Jacob shook his head. "No. He wants everyone to stay here for Cailin and Embry."

"Good call," Leah said, nodding her agreement, her eyes on Embry, who sat on the porch steps, hunched over with his head down and his hands clasped tightly over the back of his neck.

* * *

><p>After Embry's departure, Dr. Cullen had asked Cailin once more if she wanted to be awake or asleep for the procedure, reminding her that if she chose to sleep through it, they could begin within minutes, but that if she wanted to be awake, it might be up to half an hour before they could take the baby.<p>

"I understand," she said. "But I think I want to be awake. I want to see Rose's face when she holds her _leanbh_ for the first time."

Rosalie had smiled and given her hand a gentle squeeze. "Alright then, best we get the epidural going right away."

Cailin swallowed as the back of her gown was lifted. "Look at me," Rose directed, taking Cailin's hands in her own as the antiseptic solution was applied to her bare spine.

"Och, that's cold," Cailin quipped.

Carlisle chuckled. "I'm sorry, that can't be helped," he said lightly. "Now you're going to feel a pinch as I give you a shot to numb your back."

Cailin squeezed Rosalie's hands as the shot was administered, grinding her teeth to keep from crying out. "There," Carlisle said. "I need you to lean forward a little now, just enough to open some space between your vertebrae. Hold onto Rose - Rose, I need you to keep her still for me. Edward, hand me the epidural syringe."

Cailin's arms were wrapped around Rosalie's waist, squeezing with all her might in fear of what she knew was a very big needle, even though she couldn't see it. She could feel Rosalie's arms, wrapped around her under her own, tighten slightly, and she somehow knew she would not be able to move if she tried. She felt Carlisle's hands on her back as he probed for the right spot and then inserted the needle. Unable to help herself, she yelped as it began to push into her.

A few moments later it was over and the medicine was being administered. Cailin sighed with relief as Rosalie helped settle her down on the bed, then sat on a stool next to her shoulder as Edward helped Carlisle set up a sterile screen just before the rise of her stomach. She felt the loose nightgown being pulled up by the doctor and her cheeks colored in spite of the fact that he had already seen her most private parts. She felt the catheter going in but realized it didn't hurt like she'd expected it to.

Carlisle peeked over the screen. "How are you feeling, my dear?"

She offered a nervous smile. "Alright. You've put in the catheter, right? Didn't hurt like I thought. Not pleasant, mind you, but not painful."

Carlisle nodded. "Good. Now remember, when we begin, you will feel pressure and pulling, but you should not feel any pain. If you feel any pain at all, don't hesitate to say something."

"So it should be soon, you think?" Cailin asked.

"We'll give it another six minutes before we test your feeling," the doctor replied.

She nodded and looked to Rosalie, whose eyes were dancing with excitement as she held her hand. "In half an hour or less, you're going to be a mum," she said.

Rosalie grinned. "I know! I'm so excited, and so nervous. And I know I've said it like, a million times, but I just can't thank you enough. Cailin, this means so much to me, this gift you're giving to me and Emmett."

"You're quite welcome, Rose," Cailin said sincerely. "Just the look on your face, and knowing how much you will love this baby, is enough thanks for me."

She looked toward Edward then, who had been silent except to speak to Carlisle about the equipment. "Does he know what's happening?" she asked him. "He's not projected his thoughts to me today."

"Or me, come to think of it," Rosalie said with a glance over her shoulder.

Edward tilted his head to the side, listening to something they could not hear. After a moment he looked at them both with a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, he knows. He remembers what we told him about being still, so that's what he's doing now." He paused then, apparently listening again, then grinned. "But he's very anxious to meet you both, and Emmett as well."

Cailin sighed with relief as Rosalie looked down at her with a grin.

"Cailin, are you feeling this?" Carlisle asked then.

She frowned. "I don't feel anything," she said.

He looked across her at Edward. "Then it's time to begin." He set something aside she could not see, then turning to Rose he said, "Remember, Rosalie - if you think even for a moment that the smell is too much, you get out."

Rosalie nodded solemnly. "I will, I promise."

"Very well," Carlisle said. "Now Cailin, as discussed we're going to use scalpels on your skin and uterus, and we'll try them on the amniotic sac as well, as I know the thought of myself or Edward having to use our teeth was unsettling to you. I just wanted to remind you that we may not have a choice if the sac is too hard to cut with the scalpel."

Cailin looked into his eyes and nodded. "I understand."

With another nod, Carlisle looked to Edward. "Time of incision, 10:15 a.m.," he said, and they set to work.

She found herself watching Rosalie's face as the doctor and his son cut into her. She could see that the female vampire was not actually breathing at all, though she still smiled at her and held her hand. "Very soon, Rosalie, very soon," she murmured, and the other woman nodded.

_Yes, very soon_, mháthair, came the little voice she had already come to know very well. _I'm being still just like Uncle Edward told me I had to be_.

Her eyes flashed to Edward, who spared a moment to share a smile. "Thank you for that, little one," he said.

Rosalie broke her statue-like stillness to look over her shoulder. "What did he say?"

"He referred to your brother as 'Uncle Edward'," Cailin said with a chuckle.

Carlisle smiled then as well. "Alright, I'm about to try and cut the sac with the scalpel," he said.

"Let's hope it works," Cailin replied.

"Try another pass, Carlisle," Edward said.

She watched Carlisle's head bob. "Yes, this just might work after all - though the way this one is cutting, you'd think it was as dull as a butter knife. Hand me an unused scalpel, son."

"Is it not working?" Cailin had to ask.

"Your amniotic sac is not precisely as hard as our skin, but it is still very thick," he told her as he worked. "I'm sure Edward would have noticed this the last time had the situation not been so dire with Bella."

"Indeed. I didn't even think about it really - I just knew I had to get the baby out," Edward replied. "This birth is much more ideal. We can cut through the amniotic sac after all, it's just taking a little longer than it normally would."

Another minute or so passed, then Carlisle said, "That's it! Alright now, Cailin, you're going to feel some pressure and pulling as we get the baby out. Rosalie, do you think you can handle helping a bit? I'd like you to get the receiving blanket ready, as once the baby is out we're going to cut the cord and clean him quickly - but only if you're up to it."

Cailin watched her eyes widen. "You can do it, Rose. You'll be fine - you've made it this far."

"Yes, you're doing remarkably well, Rose," Edward added.

Rose had been holding her breath again, and she shook a little as she drew in a breath and said, "It's not without difficulty, but I keep telling myself that I have to resist for the baby."

Cailin watched her take another breath, slowly, and then expel it. She looked down at her and nodded, then rose from the stool and walked over to a side table and picked up the receiving blanket. At that moment Cailin felt the tugging, the pressure, as Carlisle and Edward tugged her skin far enough apart and pulled the baby through it.

"Time of birth, 10:25 a.m.," Edward announced.

"Clamp the cord so I can cut it, Edward," Carlisle said, then he looked at Rosalie. "Are you ready?"

Turning her head, Cailin saw Rosalie nod, then step deliberately forward to stand at Edward's right. "What do you see, Rose?" her brother asked her softly.

Rosalie looked down, and then let out a laugh. "Oh my God! It really is a boy! Cailin, we have a boy!" she exclaimed excitedly.

From outside, they all heard Emmett's booming shout of joy - of course he had been listening.

Carlisle lifted the wriggling bundle and placed him in Rosalie's outstretched hands. She drew the baby closer and wrapped the blanket around him, her smile wide as she looked down at him and said, "Well, I'm glad to finally see you too, Fintan Henry McCarty Cullen. Welcome to the world, my son."

Cailin found herself smiling at the look of utter joy on Rosalie's face, and her heart swelled with pride to know that she had made another person so deliriously happy.

"Of course, she's right here," Rosalie said then, stepping closer to Cailin's head. "Would you like to see him?"

Suddenly nervous, she looked between Rose and the baby. "Does…does he want to see me?"

_I do_, mháthair, came the baby's - Fintan's - voice then.

"Alright, wee one," Cailin replied, and Rose leaned over so that she could see the face on the head peeking out through the blanket. She gasped to find eyes as green as her own staring back at her.

"_Flaithis dea! _He's got green eyes!" she exclaimed.

Finn gurgled. _Do you like my eyes?_

"I love them," she replied. "They're just like mine."

"Come on," she heard Carlisle mutter then. "Edward, give me another hemostatic clamp."

"What's going on?" Cailin asked then.

"Should I get the fibrinogen ready, Carlisle?"

Carlisle nodded. "And the propofol."

Edward moved quickly to a side table and pulled a drawer open, withdrawing two bags of medicine. He was suddenly at her shoulder where the bag with the epidural medication was hanging from a pole. He had the two bags hung and their tubules attached to a single drip piece, and the needle for the I.V. was inserted in her arm so fast she barely felt the prick of it breaking her skin.

"You're scaring Finn," Rosalie said. "What's happening?"

"Please tell me what's happening," Cailin added. "You promised me you would even if things looked bad."

Carlisle sighed. "I'm afraid I'm having trouble stopping the bleeding, Cailin."

"I'm hemorrhaging, aren't I?"

He paused long enough to spare her a glance. "I'm doing my best to stop it and save your uterus. Sedating you will help your body heal faster. I'm sorry, you'll have to go to sleep now."

Even as she nodded, she could feel herself being dragged toward unconsciousness. The last thing Cailin's mind registered was the baby's mental voice as he told her he loved her.

* * *

><p><strong>Gaelic Translations:<strong>

**_leanbh_ - child**

**_mháthair_ - mother**

**_Flaithis dea_ - Good heavens**

* * *

><p><strong>AN: At last, at last! Let's hope my Muse sticks around for another chapter!**


	12. It's So Hard To Say Goodbye

**12. It's So Hard To Say Goodbye  
><strong>

"Rosalie, take the baby out now," Carlisle commanded softly, as he and Edward worked quickly to stop the flow of blood, their hands a blur over Cailin's open abdomen.

Rosalie didn't need to be asked twice. Not only did Finn not need to see any of that, the increase in its flow had caused the air in the room to be heavily perfumed with the scent of blood. It was becoming harder for her to resist, and she knew that instinctively, Finn would want it too. So she clutched her son to her shoulder and raced from the room.

Outside of that room, the cloying smell was greatly lessened, and Rosalie took a deep breath to try and clear the bloodlust from her mind. She needed Emmett, needed his strong arms around her to keep her grounded - and he needed to see the baby boy he would call his. Aware, however, that the back yard was full of anxious wolves, she made her way out to join them slowly, not wanting to startle anyone.

Especially Embry.

She was spotted by onlookers several feet from the door, and all those eyes on her caused an uncharacteristic flash of nervousness to flow through her.

_Don't be scared, Mommy. Daddy will protect us_.

Rosalie paused in midstride, tilting her head to look down into eyes that were indeed a clear emerald green, as Cailin's were. "How could you possibly know that I feel nervous, hmm?" she murmured, lifting a hand to stroke a fingertip across his fuzzy eyebrow. Oh God, how she was already falling in love with this tiny little person.

Finn didn't respond with his mental voice, he just gurgled, little bubbles blowing out of his tiny, plump lips. Rosalie smiled and dabbed them away with the hem of the blanket he was wrapped in, then taking another deep breath, continued toward the back door.

Embry was on his feet and facing her before she had the door open, and as soon as she stepped through it, Emmett was by her side, the rest of the family approaching a pace or two behind.

"How's Cailin? Is she okay?" Embry asked.

Rosalie heard the desperate hope, the fear, in his voice, and suddenly felt so sorry for him. It was, perhaps, the first time it had really registered just how truly, deeply bonded the shapeshifters were to their imprints, and she hoped fervently that Edward and Carlisle could stop the bleeding and save Cailin, for she suddenly knew without a doubt that this boy would be utterly lost if she died.

Clearing her throat, she knew she had to tell him the truth. "Cailin made it through the birth just fine," she said slowly. "But she started bleeding heavily after. Carlisle sedated her and gave her some medications to help stop the bleeding."

"Wait, wait, wait… What do you mean, bleeding heavily?" Embry asked, taking a step closer. Jacob and Seth were at his sides instantly; they made no move to restrain him, but were clearly ready to do just that if it became necessary.

"Embry, let her talk," Jacob said quietly.

"Carlisle and Edward are doing everything they can, Embry, I swear to you," Rosalie said, forcing herself to hold his gaze even though he was making her nervous. "I just couldn't stay because of the smell, and Finn didn't need to see her like that."

Embry's eyes flicked to the bundle in her arms as if just noticing it was there. "That's…that's her baby?"

Rose nodded. "Yes. Cailin was so happy to see that he has her eyes."

"Her eyes?"

The blonde vampire nodded again. "Yes. Finn's eyes are green, just like his _mháthair_."

She turned then to the large man at her side who was all but dancing with anticipation. "Emmett, this is our son, Fintan. Finn, meet your daddy," she said softly, slowly holding the baby out and transferring him to Emmett's arms.

Emmett's eyes grew large as he looked down at the delicate bundle now cradled in his arms. "Wow," he said softly. "He looks just like her."

A moment later his expression grew serious. "I don't know, buddy. I sure as hell hope so."

"What? What did he say?" Embry asked. "I know he can talk to you with his thoughts, Cailin told me about that. What is he saying?"

Emmett looked at him. "He asked me if his _mháthair_ was gonna be alright."

"Why the hell do you guys keep calling her that if you're planning to raise this kid yourself?" Embry barked angrily. "I thought you were gonna be his mother?"

Rosalie turned to him, a flash of her usual attitude settling her expression into a scowl. "_We_ do not call Cailin by the Gaelic word for 'mother.' Finn does. He has ever since he was able to project his thoughts to people, and in case she forgot to mention it, Cailin gave him permission to do so. That word has special meaning for both of them - she's the only one he calls _mháthair_. And I would be a fool not to recognize that even though Emmett and I are going to raise him, Cailin will _always_ be his mother."

Before Embry could formulate a response, Edward stepped through the sliding doors. Jumping the last three steps to the porch, Embry grabbed him by the arms.

"Is Cailin okay? How is she? Please tell me she's okay, man. _Please_," he asked desperately.

Edward looked him in the eye as he reached up and pulled Embry's hands from his arms. "I know Rose has already explained that she began bleeding heavily after Fintan was born. We managed to get the bleeding under control and she's currently under heavy sedation to help speed the healing process."

"Edward, what about her…?" Esme spoke up, not needing to finish the sentence for everyone to know what she was asking about.

The bronze-haired vampire glanced at his mother. "For now, Cailin still has all her reproductive organs."

"What the hell do you mean, 'For now'?" Embry growled.

Edward turned back to him. "Cailin lost a lot of blood, Embry. Carlisle is giving her a transfusion, but if the bleeding starts again he may have no choice but to go back in and remove her uterus."

Jacob, who had joined Embry on the porch, placed a hand on his shoulder as he began to shake, breathing heavily. Embry turned his head sharply to look at him but Jacob didn't flinch. He merely stood there, holding his gaze, his hand on his shoulder, until the shaking subsided and he began taking deep, steadying breaths. After several minutes, when it was clear he was once again in control of himself, he turned back to Edward.

"When can I see her?"

"Carlisle is getting her cleaned up now. He'll come for you when he has everything taken care of," Edward replied, then moved to his wife's side, gathering her in his arms.

Though he had not said so directly, no one there misunderstood the intention of his words. By "everything taken care of," they all knew Edward meant Carlisle was cleaning up the blood Cailin had lost.

* * *

><p>After the news that Cailin was, for the time being at any rate, still alive, some of the wolves began to make their way home. Jacob assured each one that he would call if there was a change in her condition. Most of the boys would return to the reservation, though Jared and Paul had declared they were meeting Kim and Rachel at the hospital, Jared assuring Jacob he'd call with an update on Emily's condition as well. Leah, Leland, Seth, and Alex decided to remain with Jacob in case they were needed, and because - as Leah put it - "Cailin's our sister as much as Embry is a brother."<p>

Although they tried to be discreet about their excitement so as not to upset Embry any further, the Cullen clan gathered around Emmett and Rosalie to see the new baby. The next person to hold him was his eldest remaining sister, Jennifer.

"He is such a beautiful child," she said as she gazed into his eyes. "You're right, Emmett, he looks like Cailin. I think his hair will be brown though, as our sire's was."

"Sire" was how she had taken to referring to Joham the last few days, as a means of separating her new life from her old one. It was also because she had been forced to admit that in truth, Joham was not the kind of man who deserved the title of "father."

She looked up then, into the eyes of Alice, whom she had been told had sought her elder brother out in the hope that his being a hybrid like Renesmée would save the little girl from the Volturi.

"Do you think Nahuel will like him?" she asked.

"I'm afraid I can't see any future in which the two of them are together," Alice said after a moment, "because I can't see hybrids. But based on what little I know of your brother, I have no doubt he'll love him as much as he loves you. He'll love Ever the same way too."

Jennifer gently rocked the baby, looking into his eyes as the lids drooped, and reluctantly handed him back to Rosalie with a sigh. "I hope you're right. I guess I can't help wondering how he would feel about so many things, such as the deaths of our sisters, and our sire. How he would feel about Ever and now Finn. I haven't seen my brother in almost four years. Now I have another."

"He's a beautiful baby," Esme remarked softly as she looked over Rose's shoulder at Finn. She then looked up at Jennifer. "Alice is right, Jennifer. I've no doubt Nahuel would love Finn and Ever as much as he loves you. As for the deaths of your family, I imagine he would be sad, but he'll understand that such, however unpleasant, was necessary to save others."

Jennifer nodded as she turned her gaze from the new baby sleeping in Rosalie's arms to the one who now, already, appeared to be a small toddler as she sat in Alex's lap staring at Finn.

Just then the sliding doors opened once more, admitting Carlisle to the porch. He walked directly over to Embry, who had stood to face the vampire the moment the door opened.

"Cailin lost a lot of blood, as I'm sure by now you know," he began. "But we stopped the bleeding and so far it doesn't appear that it will start again. I've set up a transfusion and plan to keep her sedated until at least this evening so that she can build her strength back up naturally. When I left her, she was sleeping comfortably."

The relief on Embry's face was palpable, and evident in the way his shoulders dropped, his arms hanging loosely at his sides. He stared at his feet for a long moment, and it was obvious that he was once again struggling to control his emotions.

When at last he looked up, he asked again, "When can I see her?"

Carlisle offered him a sympathetic smile. "You're welcome to go in and sit with her now if you like. Just be sure not to disturb her. She needs to rest."

Embry nodded and moved past him, unable to get into the house fast enough.

"How's she doing, Carlisle?" Jacob asked. "I mean, really?"

The doctor looked at him. "I was worried I'd have to perform a hysterectomy for a few minutes, but as I said, the bleeding has stopped and my observation of her these last fifteen minutes would seem to indicate it's not going to start again. I'll keep a close watch on her, of course, for the next twenty-four hours, just to be sure. However, I do feel cautiously optimistic that she'll be fine. She just needs time to recover now."

Jacob loosed a sigh. "Good. That's good. And thank you. For everything you're doing for Cailin and Embry. I hate to think that if you hadn't saved her, we would have lost them both."

Carlisle's smile was stronger this time, as he replied, "You're quite welcome, Jacob, although no thanks are necessary. I'm happy to help."

"You might also be happy to learn that little Finn over there won't be the only new baby in the family," Leah said then. "Sam called us earlier and said Emily's gone into labor. Sometime today or tomorrow we'll finally find out what it is they're having."

"That is wonderful news," Carlisle replied with a grin. "When you speak to them again, please give them my congratulations."

"Well, we already got us a boy," Seth piped up. "I think they should have a girl."

"Seth, it doesn't quite work that way, you know," Bella told him. "You don't get to choose the baby's gender even if you're the one having it. I thought I was having a boy and ended up with a girl, remember?"

"Yeah, but Sam and Emily coulda found out what they were having and decided to keep us all in the dark," Seth grumbled.

"That's because Emily wanted things to be a little more old-fashioned," his sister reminded him. "Which I kinda get. I mean, sure, knowing ahead of time if your kid's gonna be a boy or a girl is helpful in knowing what to buy and all, but back in the day, there was no such thing as an ultrasound or sonogram or what have you. You found out the same way we did with Nessie and Finn - when the kid was born."

Leland threw his arm across her shoulders as he said, "So are you saying when it's our turn you're gonna keep me in the dark?"

Leah laughed. "Don't put the cart before the horse there, stud. We're not even officially engaged yet, let alone married and trying for kids."

"Talking about marriage and children seems to make you nervous, Leah," Jasper observed. "Why is that?"

She scowled at him, but her tone was friendly as she replied, "Hey, I just met the guy not even two months ago. Don't get me wrong - I love Lee with all my heart and I know those things are gonna happen for us. But I'm still getting used to the fact that he's even in my life, so despite the whole pre-destined mates thing, I'd just like to take things one step at a time."

Leland was gathering her to his chest for a hug as Jasper replied, "A wise approach to a serious subject. Commendable of you."

"And honey, you know I'm just teasing," Leland added. "I get a kick out of getting a rise out of you. You know I'm perfectly content to wait."

"Thank you for not going all cave man on me," she replied, followed by a quick kiss.

Leland laughed. "Anytime, babe. Anytime."

Seth shook his head at them, then turned to Rosalie and Emmett. "So, um, how's it feel to officially be parents now?"

Rosalie looked up at Emmett, who beamed a smile down at her, before looking over at Seth to answer his question. "It's the most amazing feeling in the world. I never thought this would ever happen for me. I could thank Cailin every day of forever and it would never be enough to express how I feel about the generosity she's shown me and Emmett.

"And we're of the same mind, you know. I can't help thinking of Cailin as family now, like a sister. I guess I finally understand a little of what Alice and Edward felt about Bella when she and Edward first got together, how it's possible to feel so strongly about someone who isn't one of us. I think a lot of my feelings against Bella becoming a vampire also had to do with how she would be giving up all her friends and family. I didn't quite understand how someone could consciously make such a decision because it hurt me so much to have to say goodbye to my family when I was changed. It hurts to get close to humans knowing I'm going to have to say goodbye to them in a few years time. It's why I never let myself get really close to any of the kids we went to school with here in Forks, even though I longed to make friends."

Alice, usually the peppiest of the bunch - vampire or wolf - nodded solemnly. "It is one of the most difficult parts of being what we are," she agreed. "I mean, everyone who knows me knows I love meeting new people and making new friends. But it's so painful saying goodbye sometimes that it gets harder every time we have to move."

"That's something you're going to have to think a lot about," Jacob said then, his comment directed at Seth and Alex. The two younger shifters turned to him as he continued. "Obviously you know, bound as you are to Jennifer and Ever, that you're going to have to keep phasing for as long as you live. You can't leave them. Now, both of you probably have several years before you'll absolutely have to leave home, but one day you're gonna have to face the fact that leaving home is inevitable. You're gonna have to say goodbye to a lot of the people you know, people you may never see again."

"Do you think about that a lot, Jake?" Seth asked. "How one day you're not going to be able to come back here?"

Jacob nodded. "I think about it every day. Like I said a few weeks ago, I have a few years still that I can come back for the summer, but even I gotta acknowledge that the day is going to come where I'm gonna have to stop. I'll have to bring Dad and Rachel to me if I want to see them. And I may end up having to say goodbye to Becky for good sooner than later. Might be best I do it sooner since she's in the dark about the legends being true."

"We're gonna have to do that too, aren't we?" Alex asked then. "One day, we're gonna have to bring the people who know about us to wherever we're living instead of being able to come home to La Push."

"I'm afraid so, dude. It's a sacrifice you're not gonna be able to avoid making," Jake told him.

"So say we bug out around…2015, which is in six years," Alex pressed. "That means we wouldn't be able to come back to the place we were born until what, 2050? 2060?"

Jacob sighed. "Yeah, something like that."

Emmett, probably trying to lighten the mood, laughed a little too loud and said, "Up side of that is when you _do_ come back, you get to pretend to be your own grandkid!"

* * *

><p>After talking with the others and taking a turn holding his new grandson, Carlisle slipped back into the house to check on his patient. He found Embry as he suspected he would, seated next to the hospital bed with Cailin's hand encompassed in both of his.<p>

"Why is she so pale?" the boy asked without looking at him when Carlisle opened the door.

"Her paleness is due to the amount of blood she lost," the doctor said softly as he approached. "I can assure you that she looks a lot better than she did just half an hour ago. Her color is already improving."

He moved around the bed to check the I.V. bags, and satisfied with what he saw, he next took her pulse. After that he moved toward the middle of the bed, and looking across it at Embry, said quietly, "I need to pull the blanket down to check her incision."

When Embry nodded without looking at him, Carlisle reached for the blanket, pulling it from where he had tucked it near Cailin's elbows and folding it over at her mid-thigh, exposing her nude lower half. The shapeshifter, he noted, swallowed hard, closing his eyes against the desire to look. Pleased that there was no bleeding that he could smell and that the incision was still clean, he pulled the blanket back into place.

"There's no more bleeding, which is a very good sign," he said to Embry. "As I told the others, I'll have to keep an eye on that for the next twenty-four hours, but if there's no more blood loss and no infection sets in, I've every reason to believe she'll make a full recovery."

Embry was silent for a moment, before finally saying, "Thank you." He then groaned. "God, I hate seeing her like this. She looks so weak and fragile, and all I want to do is scoop her into my arms and run away with her. As if that would friggin' help."

"It's only natural to want to protect the ones we love from harm," Carlisle said. "I think Cailin is very lucky to have you."

The shapeshifter scoffed. "I sure got a funny way of showing I appreciate her," he muttered. "Or even deserve her, for that matter. I know my attitude's improved some the last few days, which I know is appreciated by all around, but there was those two weeks before that where all I could think about was myself, and how much I hated that fucker Joham for taking what was mine. And I hated myself for not stopping him from doing it."

"At risk of sounding patronizing, Embry," Carlisle began slowly, "there's really no way any of us could have known who Joham and Serena would have targeted after Sierra. If it hadn't been Cailin, it might well have been one of the other older imprints. It could even have been one of the girls from the reservation not associated with the pack, or a girl from one of the surrounding communities. There's simply no way to have predicted who he would have taken."

"I know that," Embry said. "Cailin pointed that out too. But it doesn't stop me from being pissed it was her. That I wasn't there to stop him. And I almost destroyed what we have because I let that anger get to me and started taking it out on her."

He looked up then. "And you wanna know something else that makes me an asshole? I wish it _had_ been someone else's girl. I know that's real jackass of me to think, let alone say out loud, but that's how I feel. Because if it had been someone else, Cailin wouldn't have had to risk her life giving birth to that monster's baby - yet at the same time, I'd not wish this hell on another person. So I'm a jerkwad who contradicts himself. God, sometimes I think Cai deserves better than me."

Carlisle stepped around the bed to stand at his shoulder, upon which he placed a hand, hoping to comfort the boy - if only a little. "I think the fact that you acknowledge fault in yourself, that you accept your own imperfections, makes you just that much more human, son," he said. "And if I'm not mistaken, Cailin has accepted you flaws and all. She knows who and what you are, and she loves you anyway."

"Which makes her the saint and me the sinner in this relationship," Embry mused. "I still can't believe she forgave me for being such a prick."

Chuckling, Carlisle patted Embry's shoulder before placing his hand in the pocket of his trousers. "There are times when I feel the same way about myself and Esme," he admitted.

Embry looked up. "Say what? C'mon, Doc - I might not know you guys as well as Jake or Seth, but from what I've seen, you and Mrs. Cullen are like, the perfect couple. Y'all never seem to get mad at each other or even disagree about anything."

Now he had to laugh. "You'd be surprised," he told him. "We've had our share of fights over the years, though I admit the last time Esme and I had any sort of serious disagreement was when Bella was pregnant."

"What did you disagree about?"

"The baby," Carlisle answered. "When Bella first got pregnant, we had no idea what was happening - even in nearly four hundred years of life, I'd heard only the faintest stories about succubi and incubi, and children sired by vampires. The research we conducted proved essentially fruitless. I feared very much for Bella's safety, and I admit that as much as it would have pained me, I thought that aborting the child would be best.

"Esme worried for Bella as well, but she firmly believed that the decision had to be hers and no one else's. Even had I been inclined, she'd never have allowed me to take the baby against Bella's will. So even as much as I knew the baby was killing her, though it certainly wasn't Renesmée's fault, I had to sit by and do nothing. That's an extremely uncomfortable position for me to be in as a doctor, as I've sworn an oath to do no harm. It was also extremely difficult for me to watch as a father, as I consider Bella one of my children. I know it wasn't any easier for Esme, but neither she nor Bella would let me do the only thing I knew I could to help."

"But you guys eventually figured out what Bella needed."

Carlisle nodded. "Yes, thanks to a so-called 'snide comment' made by Jacob," he said with a grin. "And as you know now, it's a good thing that worked… otherwise this situation could have turned out a lot worse."

Embry nodded, bringing Cailin's hand to his lips and planting a kiss on the back of it. "I was scared shitless she was gonna die. That something would go wrong and you wouldn't be able to save her. And if she had died, I'd have had no choice but to kill myself. I don't know how Collin held on as long as he did, and he didn't even know if Sierra was alive or dead. Or maybe he did know, somehow. She was his imprint, and maybe through the bond he somehow knew she was still alive. Maybe when her heart stopped beating that night, he just couldn't accept it until he actually heard Leah say those God-awful words."

He kissed the back of Cailin's hand again, as if needing to reaffirm her presence despite the fact that he was looking right at her soft, still face. "I just…I can't believe he held on as long as he did. I've been losing my mind these last two and a half weeks, worrying about her. And being a jackass, but mostly worrying about her. There's no way I can live without her."

Carlisle sighed, feeling incredible sympathy for this young man barely past being a boy, who knew few certainties in his short life beyond what he was and what he was born to do. Being connected on a deep, spiritual level no one in his own family could understand was one of those certainties, as was knowing that for those of the pack that had imprinted…

…there was no life without the other half of that connection.

* * *

><p>Cailin had once noted that he was content to just sit and observe. And for the most part, Jasper knew, that was true. He'd had such a marvelous time when Renesmée was first born just being around the family - especially Bella - surrounding himself in the pure joy they radiated whenever they held her. He'd been rather surprised as well by how quickly he had taken to the little girl himself, but like the others, with one touch of her hand to his face all his uncertainty regarding her had come crumbling down. She was a precious gift given to their family by a young woman whom he had once been determined to destroy in order to keep the ones he loved safe.<p>

How incredibly different things were from the day Edward had told them that a human knew what they were. Now he could hardly imagine that he'd been that determined to kill an innocent person. Now, Jasper was infinitely more at ease around humans, when there was a time he was uncomfortable to the point of being physically ill. Thanks to Bella, and to Nessie, and even in some part to the shapeshifters (once you got past their atrocious smell), his tolerance of the living had grown such that he had no trouble at all spending copious amounts of time in their presence.

Which was not to say that he didn't still prefer human blood - he always would. He had simply, finally, achieved the control over his thirst that the others seemed to handle with ease. And consuming the blood of animals was far preferable to slipping back into the skin of the monster he once had been.

But old habits indeed died hard, so despite the happiness radiating from the members of his family, out on the back patio gathered around Emmett, Rosalie, and baby Fintan, he was off to the side. Observing. Seeing the smiles on the faces of his brother and sister, literally feeling the joy they were feeling, it was enough for now to simply bask in the glow of pure, unconditional love. When others around him felt good, he felt good.

The change in Rosalie these last seventeen days was nothing short of miraculous. She was - by her own admission - vain, self-centered, and bitchy. She was the kind of person who demanded her whims be catered to, or you'd suffer the consequences. Yet in little more than two weeks, it was as if she were almost a completely different person - almost, because the vain, self-centered bitch would probably always be there, lurking beneath the surface. And that was okay, he supposed, because for her to change completely meant she wouldn't be Rose. Though if he were totally honest with himself, Jasper rather liked this Rosalie a great deal more - the one who was kind and considerate. The one who put another person's thoughts, feelings, wants and needs above her own. She had been marvelous with Cailin throughout the pregnancy, always swearing as she had just a little while ago that she'd never be able to thank her enough.

He had no doubt whatsoever that she would be a good mother. A child was something she had longed for since she was human, and something she'd come to believe was a dream that would always go unfulfilled. Yet she had been given the chance to be a mother after all, and Rose was not likely to take the gift she had been given for granted. She'd be so attentive to Finn that she'd probably end up smothering the kid - he could just imagine in a few years' time an older Finn complaining that his mother never let him go anywhere or do anything. It was a thought that brought a smile to his face.

Emmett had changed a great deal in the last couple of weeks as well. Despite the ribbing he had delightfully given him over the possibility he would drop the baby, he knew that his brother would be a good father. He would be this baby's best friend. He already couldn't wait to wrestle with him, race him, and play games with him. They would pal around telling jokes, making fun of the others in the family, and he had every reason to believe that soon after he could walk, Emmett would enlist Finn's aid in pulling pranks. Those were the times his brother loved best.

Jasper also knew that Emmett would be Finn's fiercest protector. Anyone or anything that threatened that boy would meet a swift and violent death. The carnage left in his wake would rival the action films his brother loved to watch should Finn's safety ever be put at risk.

He smelled her even before her concern-tinged emotional aura cracked through the cloud of joy emanating from his family. Jasper casually turned his head to find that Leah Clearwater had sidled up to him, and for a moment he considered how much of a conundrum _she_ was. Leah had hated his family, and vampires in general, perhaps more than any one of the other wolves. Granted, she'd had reason. The pain that came as a result of Sam leaving her - the bitterness and the anger - and the confusion of her own transformation into a wolf, he could understand all that. How she chose to handle herself and treat other people, however, had left _a lot_ to be desired. Even his tolerance of her attitude had been tested a time or two.

Yet she, too, had changed. Perhaps even more than Emmett and Rosalie combined. She still didn't care for Bella all that much (which he acknowledged was a lingering side effect of how Jacob had been treated by her, however unintentionally), was often creeped out by Alice's ability to see the future (even though she couldn't see Leah's at all), and had admitted that Esme's mothering was stifling at times (she got enough mothering from her own mother). But in the last two years, and especially the last two months, Leah had grown and matured, surpassing everyone's expectations of her and becoming a respectable, likeable woman. She had a great deal of respect for Carlisle and his medical skills, had accepted Emmett as a brother for saving her life, and grudgingly considered Edward - whom she had once labeled a "pretentious, nosy little prick" - her friend.

Rosalie, he knew, she didn't particularly care for anymore than she did Bella, but they seemed to understand one another. Both Leah and Rose had once commonly believed they would never hold the title of "mother." But Leah had until a month ago been free of her wolf for three months, and was determined to be free of it again as soon as she and Jacob had decided that Shalayne Whistler was in control of hers. By the time she and Leland were married next summer, Leah's body would likely have returned to its pre-phasing condition and she'd be able to conceive, something that she'd believed phasing had robbed her of as surely as becoming a vampire at Carlisle's hands had deprived Rosalie of the ability.

He still wasn't sure, precisely, how Leah felt about him. She spoke politely to him whenever he addressed her, had even joked with him once or twice, but they rarely shared conversation with one another. He thought that she might hold some small amount of respect for him, given that he had taught the wolves how to fight newborns. Other than that? He was clueless.

"Miss Clearwater," he said with a nod when she leaned against the railing, bracing her hands on it as she glanced out over the scene before them.

"Major Obvious," she murmured in return, eliciting one of his rarely-seen smiles.

"What can I do for you?" he asked her. "You so rarely leave Leland's side when the two of you are together."

Leah scoffed lightly, though it was followed by a smile as her eyes tracked her bondmate from across the patio. "Says the man who rarely lets his little pixie wife wander more than arm's length away."

Jasper had to chuckle at that one. "Touché," he said. "So what can I do for you?"

She glanced at him, then back at the small crowd. "I needed a break."

He felt himself frown. "Their happiness…bothers you?" he queried.

Leah shook her head. "Not precisely. I'm happy for Emmett. He's been given something he never knew he wanted, and he's ecstatic about it."

"This is a bad thing…why?"

"It's not," she replied with a shrug. "I don't know, I guess I'm just feeling a little mixed up, and the guy who reads emotions seemed the perfect person to help un-mix me."

For a moment, Jasper could only stare at her in silence. "I am honored, Leah," he said slowly, his old Texas twang rolling through his voice. "Though I admit to being unsure as to how I might do so."

Beside him, Leah sighed heavily. "When Leland's godfather was here, and we had explained to him about raven and wolf shifters, and he had explained about the bears from his tribe, he said 'the world is changing quickly.' There's evidence of it right in front of us - two species who are natural enemies are sitting together in each other's company by _choice_."

He nodded. "Yes. I don't think any of us could have imagined that we would all become something of an extended family to one another, made so by the imprinting of Jacob, and more so by that of Seth and Alex. Because their destined mates are part vampire, the old alliance Carlisle made with Jacob's great-grandfather is stronger than ever, and the fates of our family and your tribe are forever intertwined."

"Exactly," she replied. "Doesn't that seem strange to you? It sure as hell does to me."

"I suppose it does," Jasper agreed. "Yet I cannot deny that I am pleased by it, for I would rather you all were our friends and not our enemies."

"It's so hard to imagine, even though I've seen it," Leah said then. "Even though I'm living right in the middle of it, for that matter. I hated you guys more than anybody, and I'm not going to lie and say I don't still hate vampires."

Leah turned to look at him then. "But here I am, at your house. By choice. I think of Emmett as a brother and Edward is kind of a friend. Carlisle is probably the best damn doctor I know."

"And here you are, talking to me. By choice," he said. "Asking for my help in sorting yourself out."

She chuckled. "Yeah, who'd have thought?" she mused, her gaze turning back to the knot of wolves and vampires once more.

"What do you think of me?" Jasper found himself asking.

Leah glanced back. "What do you mean?"

"You've just said how you feel about Emmett, Edward, and Carlisle, and I'm fairly certain I can guess how you feel about Alice, Rose, Esme, and Bella. So I admit to being curious as to where I fit in between them."

His companion shrugged. "I don't know that I have any particular liking for you," she said, "but I know that I don't _dis_like you. Not anymore. I respect your abilities as a fighter, as a combat instructor. As someone who uses that crazy-weird ability of yours to diffuse a situation and keep people calm when having a clear head is obviously the better part of virtue."

When she fell silent, Jasper supposed that was as honest an answer as she could give. He decided that since she had shared her feelings, he would do the same. "There was a time I did not like you at all," he began.

Leah laughed. "I'm sure that's a sentiment shared by many," she mused.

He laughed as well. "Perhaps so," he agreed. "But now I do. You have matured from the person I did not like. You've proven yourself to be brave and resilient - kind and nurturing, even. You've been a wonderful friend to Cailin these last two weeks, visiting with her nearly every day in spite of your responsibilities to the pack. Your misgivings about my family, the way you look at them, has changed, and that is pleasing to me. You come to visit our home of your own volition, not because you are made to, and though you may not be particularly fond of my sisters or my mother, you're polite and respectful."

"I'm going to blame that on having too few female friends and way too many brothers."

Jasper grinned. "I can see how spending so much time as the only female wolf among so many males would have its adverse side effects."

They were silent for a moment, watching as Finn, who had woken from his brief nap, was now being fed his first bottle. The plastic container was opaque, but Jasper could smell the blood it contained. There was a second bottle on the table at which Rose was seated that carried the scent of formula, and he briefly wondered if Finn would take to the latter better than Nessie had.

"If it is not this happy scene before us that troubles you," he said after a time, "then what does? The fact that you've come to me instead of Leland or even one of my brothers is a clear indication that _something_ is bothering you."

Leah sighed again, and tearing her eyes away from the "happy scene," looked into his own golden orbs to say, "Call me crazy, or paranoid - it certainly wouldn't be the first time - but even though I agree that our getting along is a good thing, I suddenly have the strangest feeling that all this isn't going to last. Like there's this cloud of doom hanging over our heads, just waiting to strike us all down with lightning."

Jasper wasn't sure how to respond to that.


	13. New Arrivals

**13. New Arrivals**

When she opened her eyes, the first thing Cailin noted was that she must've slept for hours, as it was getting dark outside.

The second thing, of course, was that her left hand was sweaty. She looked to find it clasped firmly in Embry's right next to his head, the latter of which was resting atop his left arm on the edge of the hospital bed. He was snoring lightly, and this made her smile.

That he was still here made her smile.

She slowly lifted her right hand, still attached to the I.V. pole by tubes, and reached across her body to stroke his hair, at which he suddenly jerked awake.

"Cailin!" he exclaimed softly, rising to lean over and place a light kiss upon her lips.

"I'm glad me favorite wolf is the first face I see," she said, offering a weak smile. "Hullo, my love."

Embry brought her hand to his lips as he lowered himself back into the chair he'd been sitting in. "How are you feeling?" he asked her.

Cailin took a deep breath and released it slowly. "Tired. A little sore. But none of that matters as long as you're here."

Embry smiled one of the radiant smiles she'd fallen in love with, but then he sobered. "Doc Fang said you lost a lot of blood right after they took the baby. He had to transfuse something like a pint or whatever, but last time he came in to check on you, he said he felt comfortable saying you'd make a full recovery. Might take a few weeks, but you'll be fine."

"I'm still alive," she said. "I'm still human."

"And you still have everything you were born with," he added. "He didn't have to take anything else out."

Cailin smiled. "Dr. Cullen saved our future—thank God. We'll still have our family one day."

Embry nodded. "Yeah, one day. I'm willing to wait for as long as it takes for you to want to get started on that future."

She chuckled and gave his hand a squeeze. "Well, you're not even twenty yet. No need to fear I'll make you a _da_ before you're ready, love. I'm just so happy we still have a chance."

"I know. So am I. I'm just saying… I mean, after everything you've been through these last few weeks, I just wanted you to know that I…"

She raised an eyebrow. "Embry, what's brought this on?"

He sighed, and although the lighting in the room was dim, Cailin suddenly imagined he was blushing. "Sorry, I didn't mean to get weird on you. It's just that Carlisle said something about…about waiting before becoming sexually active again."

She laughed out loud at that. "Again? We haven't even done it once."

The blush she believed he wore must have gotten deeper, as he looked away from her and cleared his throat before speaking again. "I know. But he brought it up."

She shook her head lightly. "How long are we supposed to wait?"

"Between four and six weeks, apparently. That way your body has time to heal, because being cut open is considered an 'invasive procedure,' or whatever."

Cailin nodded. "Well then, not that I've not been tempted by you, Mr. Call, but following doctor's orders sounds like a plan to me."

"You've been tempted by me, huh?" Embry teased.

Before she could respond there was a light knock on the door, and it opened slowly to reveal Carlisle.

"Good evening," he said. "May I turn on the light?"

Cailin smiled, as she knew he probably didn't need the light at all—turning it on was a courtesy to her and Embry. "Of course," she told him, and found herself blinking against the sudden intrusion of light against the darkness she'd woken to.

Carlisle moved to the right side of the bed. "I am very happy to see that you're awake," he said. "You slept a little longer than I thought you would."

"Is that a bad thing?" she wondered.

The vampire chuckled. "Certainly not. You've just been through a major surgery, and sleep will only help you heal faster. But your being awake means I can update you on your condition."

Cailin glanced between him and Embry. "I know I started hemorrhaging right after little Fintan was born."

The doctor nodded. "That's right. Though I managed to get it stopped, however, and thankfully a hysterectomy was unnecessary."

"I'm glad to hear it."

"So am I," Embry echoed.

"Now, there is still some light vaginal bleeding," Carlisle went on, "but thus far it's remained within the post-natal norm. You're also likely to experience cramping, for which I will give you a mild muscle relaxer and a painkiller, but if it ever becomes intolerable, or you feel that the blood flow is heavier than it should be, let me know right away."

"When will I be able to go to the bathroom? Or eat?" Cailin asked then.

Carlisle smiled. "If you're feeling up to it, I think we can give both a try."

She nodded. "I would like to have a go at it," she told him. "I've no pressing need, really, but I just want to try so's I don't need the catheter in any longer that it needs be."

"Why don't we get you something to eat first, then give that a little time to process before we try the other, hmm?" the vampire suggested.

Cailin glanced at Embry, then back at Carlisle and nodded. "It's probably been about a day since I've eaten. I'm famished."

Smiling again, Carlisle nodded. "Very good. Let's get you into a sitting position and I'll have Esme bring you something."

He stepped toward the head of the hospital bed and reached down to a lever on the side, and a moment later Cailin felt her upper body rising. Carlisle stopped it when she was upright, though he left her at a slightly angled position so as not to put too much pressure on her incision. He made to leave then and was about to walk out the door when something else occurred to her.

"Dr. Cullen?"

Carlisle turned back. "Yes, Cailin?"

"I know we talked about this, but with the blood loss and all, I was wondering if it's affected my going home in the next few days."

Her 21st birthday was in a week, and her brother and his friend Will were due to arrive in the States any day. She knew she would need to come up with some sort of plausible excuse as to why she wasn't moving around as much and wasn't as energetic as normal, and she needed to know how much longer she had to think of something.

"If your recovery continues to go smoothly, I see no reason why you can't go home in three days as we previously discussed," the doctor said after a moment. "Just remember you're going to have to take it easy for a while—no strenuous physical activity of any kind."

Out of the corner of her eye, Cailin could see a flush creeping up Embry's neck, likely from recollection of Carlisle's warning about sexual intercourse. She couldn't help but smile at his embarrassment. "Of course, Doctor. I just need to be home soon as me brother Seamus is coming over for me birthday. It's been a while since I've seen him."

Carlisle smiled. "I remember you telling me about that. As I said, if all continues to go well, I'm sure you'll be home in time to celebrate your birthday with your family."

"Wonderful," she replied, and he turned and left.

"Are you looking forward to seeing your brother?" Embry asked then. "Didn't you tell me it's been years since you saw him last?"

Cailin nodded. "Aye, five years," she replied. "Mum's job pays well enough, but round-trip tickets to Ireland cost a pretty penny, and Seamus was never interested in coming here. At least not before now, for which I can't help wondering if he wants something."

"Could be he just wants to make up for lost time with his sister," Embry suggested.

Before she could formulate a response, there was another knock at the door. After bidding the visitor enter, Esme opened the door and pushed in the familiar serving cart.

"Happy to see that you're awake, Cailin," she said as she first handed Embry a loaded tray and gave him a pointed look. "Maybe now you'll eat something, hmm?"she said to him.

"What's this?" Cailin queried, looking between them. "You 'aven't eaten?"

Embry looked at her solemnly. "I was worried about you. My place was here," he said simply, before digging into one of four sandwiches.

The two women shared a knowing smile, then Esme pushed the cart around the end of the hospital bed so that she could place a lighter tray across Cailin's lap. Her tray contained only one sandwich—egg salad—as well as a small salad and a glass of tea.

"Carlisle thought you should eat light for your first meal," Esme said by way of explanation. "He also told me to let you know that if you're feeling up to it, you can move back into the guest room later on."

She nodded. "Oh, I'd love that," Cailin said. "Less of a hospital atmosphere for me, and the good doctor will get 'is study back."

Esme smiled and nodded as well, then sobered as she cast a brief glance at Embry. "There's one more thing… Finn has been asking to see you. We believe he wants to assure himself you're alright, especially now that you're awake."

"Is the wee one alright?"

The vampire nodded. "Oh, he's fine. Quite wonderful, actually. But he has been somewhat anxious about seeing you again."

Cailin glanced over at Embry, who was studiously looking down at his tray and eating silently. She sighed lightly, glancing at her own food before looking back up at Esme. "I suppose it's alright Rosalie brings him in for a bit after I eat."

Esme nodded. "Now you should eat, start getting your strength back."

With a smile and a nod, Cailin replied, "Yes, ma'am."

After Esme had gone, she and Embry ate in silence for several minutes. She had finished her sandwich and about half her salad before she could find the courage to ask, "Are you going to be alright with Fintan in here?"

Embry polished off his last sandwich and downed the last of his large glass of milk before replying. "I'll leave and give you some space. Be a good idea to stretch my legs a bit." He stood abruptly with his tray in hand and started for the door, turning back to say, "I'm sorry if it hurts your feelings, I really am. Maybe someday it'll be easier for me, but right now I just don't want to be around him. And before you say it, I know it ain't his fault how all this happened. I just… I can't do it."

Cailin fought the tears stinging the backs of her eyes and nodded. Embry was trying, she knew he was, and he'd been putting forth his best effort at moving on from the anger and hate that had consumed him for much of the last two weeks. And even he had acknowledged that it wasn't Finn's fault, that maybe someday he'd be able to look at the boy and not despise his creation. But for now he'd reached his limit for tolerance, and she knew that pushing him right now wouldn't be the best thing for either of them.

"It's alright, love. I know you're doing what ye can," she said softly. "Thank you for waiting with me while I was asleep."

His hard expression softened, and Embry smiled lightly. "There's nowhere else I wanted to be," he said softly, then pulled open the door and walked out.

Feeling the tears pool in her eyes, she dabbed them quickly with the napkin Esme had provided. Though her appetite had left the room with Embry, she was determined to finish the food so generously provided by her hosts, and had just picked up the fork to stab at the lettuce in the bowl when there was a third light knock at the door.

"Come in," she called out, her eyes widening and her nerves suddenly dancing with anxiousness as Rosalie and Emmett stepped into the room. The blue-wrapped bundle in Rose's arms could be none other than Fintan.

"Oh my word," Cailin said breathily as Rose and Emmett each moved to one side of her. "He already looks bigger."

"He is," Emmett said with a huge grin on his face. "Carlisle says he looks more like a baby that's a week or two old rather than a few hours."

"Somebody has been very anxious to see you," Rose said softly as she turned and held the baby up where he could look at her.

_Mháthair_! cried Finn's mental voice excitedly as Cailin looked into a pair of tiny eyes that were as green as her own.

The tears that she had before held in check now suddenly returned, spilling over as Cailin lifted a hand to her lips. "He is so beautiful," she whispered.

Rosalie smiled and the baby gurgled happily, waving a tiny fist in the air as he did so. "Cailin," Rosalie began. "Do you think you'd like to hold him?"

For a moment, she could not breathe. Did she dare take the child in her arms? Would she be strong enough to hold the child her rapist had left her with?

Would she be strong enough to let him go?

Fighting to control the swirling emotions within her, Cailin found she could only nod. And when Rosalie had reached out and placed her son—their son—into her arms, her breath hitched again. As Finn's tiny hand curled around the finger she had hesitantly raised to touch him, only one thought came to her:

"Sweet, precious child… How could I have ever feared you?" she said.

_Why are you crying?_

"I am crying, wee one, because I am so very happy to see you," Cailin replied. "And I am crying because I was such a silly girl to be so afraid to love you. I look at you now, my beautiful boy, and I don't see the monster. I don't feel the fear. I know only love."

She raised her elbow and touched her lips softly to his forehead. Finn sighed, as if he had been waiting all evening for just that moment, and when she lowered him down again, she saw a tiny smile on his lips.

Cailin smiled back. "You are a very special little boy. And I have no doubt that as you grow and grow, you'll make your mummy and daddy very proud."

_And you too_, mháthair? Finn asked.

"Aye," she said with a nod. "As long as you're a very good boy for Rosalie and Emmett, you'll make me a very proud _mháthair_ indeed."

Finn sighed again, and still gripping her finger, his eyes drifted closed.

"He's been fighting sleep all evening," Rosalie said then. "He was afraid he would miss you waking up."

"We, uh, weren't sure you'd want to hold him," Emmett added. "Guess we worried for nothing."

Cailin glanced at the vampire to her left, who would be a father to her son. "To be honest, until he was in my arms even I weren't sure," she said. "Though I can admit I began to care for 'im in spite of trying so hard not to, I do believe I've now fallen unconditionally and irrevocably in love him."

She looked down at the sleeping baby in her arms. "I love my son, with all my heart."

"How could you not?" Rosalie said as she gently caressed his downy head. "He's too beautiful not to love."

"I know now that when you go back home in the next few weeks, it will be no small effort to watch you drive away, knowing I shall never see my son again," Cailin said softly. Looking up, she saw what to her was a look of fear in the blonde vampire's eyes, and so she smiled softly and added, "But do not be afraid, Rosalie—I'll not be keeping him from you. As hard as it will be to let Fintan go, I'm still well aware that his being raised in your family is what's best for him.

Rosalie looked across the bed to Emmett, then moved and sat on the edge so she could face its occupant. "Cailin, Emmett and I have talked about it, and we want you to know that if you ever want to come and see him, you have only to say so. It doesn't matter that we're going to raise him—he'll always be your son too."

Cailin reached her free hand out and took Rosalie's cool one into it. "Thank you for that," she said, giving the other woman's hand a squeeze and then looking up at Emmett. "Both of you."

Emmett smiled. "You're family, Cailin. We've never turned our backs on family."

A soft knock was heard at the door, before it was pushed open and Leah stepped in. "We have a girl," she said with a grin.

Cailin frowned as she wiped tears from her face. "Say what?" she queried.

Leah looked between Rosalie and Emmett. "They didn't tell you?"

Shaking her head, Cailin replied, "Tell me what?"

"Emily Uley went into labor about the same time you went into surgery," Leah said. "Just got the call from Sam that they had a little girl."

Emmett chuckled. "I can already see it now—ain't no boy gonna get within ten miles of that one."

"How wonderful! Have they a name for her?" Cailin asked.

Leah nodded. "They had names picked out for a boy and a girl. Had it been a boy, he would have been Samuel Levi Uley."

"And the girl's name?" Rosalie asked.

"That one, according to Emily, was a lot harder to choose," Leah replied with a grin. "They couldn't decide on anything from either the Quileute or Makah tribes, both of which are a part of Em's family, so they went outside of both and researched names in other tribal languages. Eventually they agreed on a Mapuche word for 'lovely'. The baby's name is Sayen Emily Uley."

"Sigh-en," Cailin said slowly, sounding the name out. "It's fitting—the word itself sounds quite lovely. I'm sure she's nothing short of beautiful."

"Leland and I are heading over to the hospital to see them," her visitor said. "I just wanted to come in and say goodbye, and tell you the news."

"Thank you," Cailin replied.

"Tell Sam I said congrats on becoming a dad," Emmett added.

Leah smiled as she turned for the door. Looking over her shoulder at him she said, "I'll do that."

When she had gone, Cailin looked down at the sleeping bundle in her arms and sighed. She then reached out slowly to hand Finn over to Rosalie. "You should put this wee one to bed," she said softly. "It's been quite a day for him."

Emmett grinned at her as she next stifled a yawn. "Been quite a day for you, too."

"Yeah, Em, why don't we go and let Cailin get some more sleep," Rosalie said as she stood, the baby securely in her arms.

Emmett nodded and took the tray from across Cailin's lap. As both vampires were heading for the door, Cailin called out, "Will you send Embry this way when he returns?"

Emmett scoffed as he held the door for Rose with one hand. "I doubt we'll have to say anything, but I'll make sure he gets the message."

"Thank you, Emmett," Cailin said around another yawn. She shut her eyes as he closed the door, thinking she would only rest for a moment.

* * *

><p>"Mason, can I ask you a question?"<p>

Looking over at his girlfriend—man, it felt so good to be able to think that and have it finally be real—Mason raised his eyebrows. "You can ask me anything, you know that."

Shalayne shifted on the oversized beach towel she was laying on, rolling so that she was on her side and facing him. After propping her head onto her hand, she opened her mouth to speak and then stopped. Her eyes lowered and she absently traced her finger in the sand.

Reaching his hand out from his own towel, Mason placed it atop hers to still it. "Shalayne, what is it?" he asked softly.

With a sigh she looked up at him again. "I've been thinking…"

Mason grinned. "You do an awful lot of that," he teased.

Shalayne picked up a small handful of sand and tossed it at him. Mason only laughed and brushed it off. "I'm trying to be serious, here," she said with a huff.

After a few residual chuckles, he sighed and did as she had done, rolling to his side to face his companion and bracing his elbow beneath him to rest his head on his hand. "All right then," he said, no trace of humor in his voice. "What were you thinking about?"

"Well, I've been thinking about us. About how despite this crazy, mystical bond between us, I'm finally starting to feel confident that how I feel about you is really how _I_ feel, and not just the bond telling me how perfect you are for me," she said.

"Okay," he said, feeling a grin split his face in spite of knowing he needed to be serious, to let her get her thoughts out in the open. "I'm really glad to hear that, because I know how important to you it is."

Shalayne nodded. "And as I've been thinking about how much I really do like you," she went on, "and want to see where this relationship goes, I found myself feeling a different kind of fear."

Mason frowned. "What's there to be afraid of? Sweetheart, you already know I'm never going to leave you. I'm never gonna want anybody else—you're it for me, bond or no bond."

He watched her fight a smile and lose, though the expression only held for a moment. "I know that," she said softly. "I'm not afraid of losing you to another girl."

Feeling a sudden, urgent need to touch her, Mason reached out his free hand and caressed her cheek. "Then what are you afraid of?"

"Distance," she said. "My question is: how are we going to manage it? I've still got a year of high school left. You're going to be moving to Seattle in the next couple months to go to college. We're going to be miles and miles apart—and the thought of being away from you for even a night is really overwhelming. I don't like that we're so co-dependent on each other. We've got to be able to live our lives when we're not around each other, yet suddenly I'm feeling like I can't stand the thought of you being so far away."

Mason sat up and turned to her fully, crossing his legs and then reaching for her. Shalayne hesitated only a moment before allowing him to help her into a sitting position as well, and he kept her hands in his as he said bluntly, "It's gonna suck."

Shalayne frowned. "I think I've already covered that," she said tartly.

He laughed again. "Let me finish, okay? Yeah, being apart is gonna suck, but we'll get through it. Being so many miles apart is going to be difficult at first, and waiting until the weekend to see each other when I come home is going to be hard. We just have to keep in mind that we _are_ going to see each other every weekend. And there's video chatting on the internet for the weekdays when the emptiness gets to be too much. Eventually, or so I've been told, the intensity of our need to be together gets easier to handle. We're still going to want to be together all the time, but as time goes on being apart won't make us so miserable."

She gave his hands a squeeze. "I'm sorry if I'm starting to sound like a whiny, needy girlfriend," she said. "All of this wolf stuff and bonding stuff is still so new to me, I'm just trying to figure out how to manage it all and still live some semblance of a normal life."

"You're gonna make friends," Mason said firmly. "I know you haven't exactly connected with any of the other girls here on the rez because you've been spending so much time with the guys in the pack, but you'll fix that. Once school starts and you need something besides your homework to distract you from the loneliness caused by the distance between us, you'll start reaching out for companionship. It's only natural that you'll want to reach out to other girls your age—if they don't reach out to you first—girls with whom you can share your misery over missing your boyfriend."

She grinned and chuckled a little. "I can just see it now: Lee will all but kick me out of the house if he sees me moping around, and will remind me that there's more to life than having my boyfriend around all the time."

Shalayne sighed. "I still hate this co-dependency stuff."

Mason nodded. "I don't like it much, either. I'm not exactly thrilled with the fact that the magic is going to make me feel shitty every minute we're not together. I'll be counting down the seconds until the bell rings at the end of my last class on Fridays, and whatever poor shmuck I get stuck with as a roomie will probably end up hating my mopey attitude. He'll probably tell me that there's more to life than girls or some such nonsense."

"You should make some friends too, while you're away," Shalayne said then. "Hang out with the guys and do the college thing right—but not the booze parties or the panty raids or the sleeping with as many girls as possible. Maybe join a sports team or something—I bet you're good at basketball, and you could certainly join the swim team."

He laughed at the sparkle in her eye, sure she was thinking of the crazy way he liked to just drop off the edge when he went cliff diving. "I could do that. If I join a team, will you come to all my games or swim meets?"

"Rogue vampires couldn't keep me away," Shalayne said with a grin, and leaned forward.

A thrill of happiness zipped through his bloodstream as he met her halfway, raising a hand to hold her at the nape of her neck as they kissed. Though they had shared a few kisses over the last couple days since she'd decided to give him a chance, this was the first that she had initiated. He believed it meant she really was becoming more and more comfortable with their relationship, more confident that her feelings for him were her own and not just the bond pushing her to be with him. It made him wildly happy that she felt that way about him, that this insanely beautiful girl liked him.

_Him_—nerdy Mason Westerman, who wanted to be an accountant.

An exaggerated groan and a childish giggle broke the spell, and they pulled apart as Quil was walking by with Claire. The little girl their fellow shapeshifter had imprinted on held a hand to her mouth and giggled again as Quil rolled his eyes and muttered at them to get a room. Mason and Shalayne looked at one another and laughed.

"Hey, how about a run on four?" he asked her then.

A "run on four" was a code phrase the pack had developed for suggesting going wolf when in the company of the uninitiated members of the tribe. Those that knew nothing about the tribal legends being true would only look slightly puzzled when they heard the pack members say the phrase, and it was widely known that they assumed it was some sort of code for hanging out with their fellow "club" members, as the boys in the packs were thought to have formed a club the purpose of which no one could really ascertain.

"Sure, but what about our stuff?" she asked, gesturing to their beach towels and swimwear.

Mason looked around. "Well, we're right by your place, so we can drop it off there and head into the woods."

Shalayne cocked her head to the side and then nodded. "I guess that works," she said, then stood abruptly, grabbing her towel as she did so. "Race ya!"

Like a shot she was off and running, her laugh flowing musically over her shoulder as he scrambled to his feet and followed. He kept his pace easy for the first few strides, unable to resist a long, lingering look at how perfect her rear end was, how sharp the white bikini bottom stood out against her dark copper skin. Blood rushed to his groin as lust flooded his veins, and Mason had to fight hard to push thoughts of how damn sexy he thought Shalayne was to the back of his mind. She was aware that he wanted her, but she wouldn't be at all happy for the other wolves to know just how much, or how eagerly he was already longing for the day when she was ready to give herself to him.

_Stop it, you idiot!_ he berated himself, clamping down hard on that train of thought and praying that his erection went away by the time he caught up to the cause of it.

They ran together all the way up the dirt road that led to Whistler Cottage and around to the back yard, where they both dropped their beach towels on the stoop.

"You cheated," Shalayne said, pointing an accusing finger at him.

Mason frowned. "How did I do that? You won, remember?"

"Because you let me," she fired back, her stern expression falling into a smile. "Throwing the race is cheating—I wanted a real race."

He would absolutely not tell her why he'd stayed behind her. He would not even think about it.

"Well, how about I make it up to you by whooping your butt on four legs?" he challenged her.

Shalayne stood with her hands on her hips. "Oh, you're on, buddy!" she said. "Now turn around so I can phase."

Dutifully Mason turned away from her, crossing his arms over his chest and counting the leaves on the nearest tree so he would not think about the fact that she was getting naked right behind him. He knew she had finished taking off her bikini and phased when a large, cold nose touched his elbow. Turning around again, he marveled yet again at the beautiful white wolf before him. He would never get tired of looking at her, either in human or animal form.

"Now it's your turn to look away for the sake of my modesty," he teased, and unless he was mistaken, the funny choking sound she emitted as she turned was meant to be a laugh. Grinning and shaking his head, he dropped his trunks and kicked them up in the air with his bare foot, caught them in his hand and tossed them over onto the stoop next to Shalayne's neatly folded bikini. In the next instant he phased, bumping her side lightly to let her know he was done.

_Still up for that race?_ he asked.

_Sure, why not? _she replied, and with a yelp she took off again.

_I'm not throwing the race this time, sister_, Mason needled her, putting on a bust of speed and flying past her.

_Doesn't mean you're gonna win, Mason Westerman!_ Shalayne shot back.

_You two are frickin' precious_, came Henry's voice across the link. _All that worry about whether or not you were gonna be together, and look at you_.

_Shut up, Henry!_ Mason said, accompanying the thought with a mental growl.

Shalayne surprised them both when she added, _Just wait until it happens to you, Henry. I may have some trouble dealing with it, but there's no denying this insatiable desire to be with him. I'm sure you'll get to experience it one day_.

_Yeah. Maybe_, Henry replied, and then suddenly the connection was broken, telling them he had phased back to human.

Mason sensed that Shalayne was slowing down. He turned around and trotted back to her. Falling into step beside her, their race apparently abandoned, he remained quiet, waiting for her to speak.

_I wonder what that was all about_, she said at last.

_Dunno_, Mason replied. _Henry's been kinda distant the last couple weeks. I know I haven't been exactly sociable either, given what was going on with us, but he's been keeping to himself a lot lately. More than usual_.

_Maybe he's feeling lonely or something_, Shalayne suggested as they continued to lope along. _After all, there were four imprintings in rapid succession, and now there are only what, three or four of the guys who haven't? Do you think Henry_—

Suddenly Shalayne froze, her nose in the air. Mason stopped and watched her take several long sniffs. _Shalayne, what is it?_

_Something very funny in the air. You don't smell that?_

Mason mimicked her actions and took several sniffs. _I don't smell anything unusual_, he said.

Shalayne sniffed the air again, and he was reminded suddenly that Leah had reported to Jake how she was proving to be an exceptional tracker. It could be, he reasoned, that as a natural tracker, her olfactory senses were much stronger than his own. There was every reason to believe that she was smelling something he could not simply because she had a much stronger sense of smell.

_What do you smell?_ he prodded gently.

_I'm not sure_, she replied. _It's almost familiar, like the answer is on the tip of my brain but I can't quite get it_.

_Well then, why don't we check it out?_ Mason suggested. _You take the lead_.

Shalayne nodded once, and with another cursory sniff of the air, she turned left and started off. Mason fell into step beside her quickly, sniffing the air himself every so often to see if he could pick up on whatever she had detected. They traveled in silence for some time, until suddenly his nose picked up on something that was out of place. He was so startled by the sudden intrusion that he paused.

_You smell it now too, don't you?_ Shalayne asked, stopping to look at him.

He nodded. _Yeah, it's almost like_…

They started off again, their pace quickening. Mason felt Shalayne's sudden surprise when she identified the scents—and when she did, he realized she was right.

_It smells like blood…and vampire_.


	14. The Trespasser

14. The Tresspasser

As soon as the thought formed in her mind, Shalayne watched Mason take off like a shot. She sped off behind him, for the first time having to run hard to keep up. She knew the individual scents of the Cullen family by heart and the smell she'd picked up wasn't one of them. Besides, they would've asked for permission before crossing through reservation lands and would certainly never have hunted there. They believed in continuing to honor the treaty even though they were all but related to the pack now.

_Shouldn't we alert the others by howling or something?_ she asked. _Seeing as we're apparently the only ones who are wolves right now_.

_A howl might alert the vampire_, Mason returned.

_And so might we, either by our scent or the fact that we're making so much noise_, Shalayne pointed out.

This brought Mason up short, but only insofar as he slowed down. _We're lucky in that right now we're still downwind, _he said._ Let's hope it stays that way_.

_Okay, that would work in our favor_, she conceded. _But what about when we find this guy?_

_Simple—I tear the fucker apart_.

Mentally she shook her head. _Mason, I hate to remind you, but you said yourself that you've never actually fought a vampire. And I haven't received any combat training. What if there's more than one?_ Shalayne asked. _I don't think we can take on a whole bunch of them by ourselves_.

_Not that you're going to be doing any fighting_— Mason began.

_Excuse me?_ Shalayne countered with a growl.

_Leland will kill me if you get hurt_.

_We've already had this discussion, so I'm not going to go into it again. Except to remind you that you can't take them on alone, _she said hotly._ If there's more than one, you might just need some help fighting them until more of the pack arrives to help, don't you think?_

At first the only response was a mental grumble, then Mason said, _One scratch on you and I'm dead. So don't get even get that much, got it?_

_By the time we get back to the village, the scratch would be healed_, Shalayne reminded him. _He'd never know unless Leah's one of the responders_.

_True_, Mason acquiesced. _Alright, here's the plan: We pray to the ancestors that the wind doesn't shift. We scout the location, check out how many there are. If there's only one, we run him off unless he attacks. If there's more than one, we howl for backup—but we aren't going to engage the leeches unless they attack us first_.

_Now_ that _sounds like a plan_, Shalayne said with a nod. She then listened intently as Mason gave her some pointers on how to attack and how to defend herself if it came to a fight, though they both hoped fervently the abbreviated lessons would prove unnecessary.

Soon they were both on alert. _The vampire's close_, Shalayne said. _The scent is really, really strong now_.

_Yep_, Mason replied, and she noted his entire body had tensed with anticipation.

Moments later there was a break in the trees, and they saw their quarry. A lone male vampire was bent over a six-point buck, so engrossed in his meal that he didn't hear their approach. Mason slowed and bent his head low, his lips curling back as he stalked toward the man.

_Mason! I thought we weren't going to_— Shalayne began.

But it was pointless even to have spoken, for in the next instant her companion had leapt forward, grabbing the vampire by the shoulder with his teeth and rolling with him. The vampire screamed in surprise and fought to free himself.

_Mason!_ Shalayne shouted again in her head, out loud barking frantically. She watched, frozen, not knowing what to do as the two wrestled across the forest floor. And when the vampire got the upper hand and managed to throw Mason bodily away, she howled, and tensed as she prepared to give chase.

The vampire, his shaggy curls a mess and his white, button-down shirt now torn and dirty, shocked her by holding his hands up and shouting "Wait! I'm not here to hurt anybody!"

She studied him even as Mason got to his feet, shaking himself and growling low. _Mason, maybe we should give him a chance to explain himself_, she said quickly. _Take a look at his eyes—they're the same golden color as the Cullens'_.

_He's a leech and he was trespassing on our land_, Mason replied sharply.

_Is he threatening you now? Is he threatening me? Hell, Mason, he's not even running away!_ she pointed out.

Mason looked between her and the vampire who, though bent in a semi-crouched position, still held his hands out in front of him, palms out.

"Please," he said. "I don't know what the hell you are—I don't even know if you can understand me, but I swear I am not here to hurt anyone. If I'm trespassing, I'm sorry. I didn't know the land was private. It's just that it's been a few weeks since I've fed and I was hungry."

He had a medium-timbre voice and a British accent that made her think of Cailin. Shalayne looked at Mason. _I think one of us should speak to him_, she said.

_Only way to do that is phase back. I'm not letting him look at you naked, no fuckin' way_, Mason replied. _I'm the only guy allowed to do that_.

_And barring my gynecologist, you're the only one that ever will—if you're lucky_, Shalayne pointed out. _But he's been nothing but peaceful except when he was defending himself, and he's even apologized for being here. He's not subject to the treaty but he still apologized—one of us should speak to him, and frankly I'm being a helluva lot more rational right now than you are. And if you turn sideways, he won't see anything we don't want him to if I stand behind you_.

_Fine_, Mason snapped. _Let's get this over with so we can get this leech off our land_.

With a huff, he turned, keeping an eye on the vampire, who watched with avid interest as Shalayne walked behind him. A moment later she phased back to her human form, looking over Mason's back at the trespasser.

"How the bloody hell did you do that?" the vampire asked.

She smiled even as she shrugged. "It's what I am. Nature allows me to do it, I guess," she replied. "Now, my boyfriend here has an itch to tear you apart, but don't take it personally. It's just that our pack has had some really bad encounters with your kind before. We've lost people."

"I'm sorry to hear that. But I had nothing to do with any of it."

"Like I said, don't take it personally," Shalayne told him. "Now, who are you and what are you doing here?"

The vampire stood straight, lowering his hands as he kept a cautious eye on the wolf across from him. "My name is Will Easton. I came to the States with a friend whose sister's birthday is in a couple of days."

Shalayne put a hand on Mason's shoulder. It was at that moment she wished she could communicate with him telepathically, as she had a sudden feeling about the man across the small glen.

"What is your friend's name? Who is his sister?" she pressed.

Will frowned slightly. "His name is Seamus McTiernan. His sister's name is Cailin."

"How old will Cailin be?"

"She'll be twenty-one. Look, I don't see the relevance…" Will said, and then his face lit up. He took an involuntary step forward but stopped immediately at Mason's warning growl.

"Do you know Cailin?" Will asked. "She's been living here in the U.S. with her mum going on six years. They live in La Push—there's a reservation there, and forgive me, but you look like an American Indian."

"Very observant of you," Shalayne replied. "Yes, I am Native American—half Quileute, the tribe that owns the land, and half Haida. Mason here is Quileute, and for the most part a pretty nice guy when he's not a raging wolf."

This earned her a bark as Mason looked back over his shoulder at her. As he returned his gaze to Will, she said, "And yes, we know Cailin. She's dating one of our pack members."

Will's eyes widened. "Oh my… Does he…? Does she know?" he asked.

Shalayne nodded. "If by the first do you mean is he a wolf too, the answer is yes. Actually, so is the answer to the second question. Cailin knows everything."

Will ran a hand through his hair, dislodging a twig that had gotten caught during his tussle with Mason. "Blimey… The world is full of strange creatues," he said quietly.

Shalayne snorted. "You're one to talk. Obviously we know what you are. We're werewolves, or as the Lakota would call us, skinwalkers. You claim to know a good friend of ours, all of which puts us in a bit of a quandary."

"Look, if you know Cailin, you can ask her. She knows me. Certainly it's been several years since we saw one another last, but she'll remember me. Seamus and I were best friends once," Will said. "I'd suggest we go meet with her, but something tells me your…condition…wouldn't allow you to walk about town as you are. And Cailin's not home anyway."

"How do you know she's not home?"

"Because Seamus and I can into town a day earlier than we originally planned," Will replied. "Her mum said she was staying with some friends, helping them care for their new baby. She's due back tomorrow, though. If you let me leave, we can arrange a place to meet, and I'll bring her there tomorrow."

"That won't be necessary. We can take you to Cailin now," Shalayne said.

"You know the friends she is staying with? Do they know about you as well?"

Shalayne laughed. "I would say so, given they're vampires, too."

* * *

><p>"This is so much better."<p>

Cailin smiled as Esme helped her sit in a chair on the Cullens' back porch. She was still sore from her surgery just two days ago, but with the excellent care and attention she had received from her new friends, she was already feeling stronger. She could walk on her own again, for which she was ever so grateful, though sometimes she still needed help sitting or standing.

"I'll be right back with some iced tea," Esme said, returning her smile before she moved to re-enter the house.

Cailin turned her head to look down on the lawn, where Rosalie sat on a blanket with Finn, Jennifer, and Ever. The two babies, only weeks apart in age, were playing together and their mothers were laughing at their antics. Cailin felt herself smile along with them—it felt so good to be able to smile at her son. Embry still had difficulty being around him, which was why he was currently out on a pizza run with Jake, Seth, and Emmett. When he was forced by his desire to be near Cailin to share breathable air with the boy, he completely ignored him.

When Esme returned with a tray containing a pitcher of iced tea and two glasses (Cailin knew one was for Jennifer), she wore a frown on her face.

"Mrs. Cullen, is everything alright?" Cailin asked.

"I just got the strangest phone call from Jacob," Esme replied. "He asked me to set out something for Mason and Shalayne to wear when they arrived, and to make sure at least two of the others were here in the next few minutes. It's a good thing Edward and Bella are in the library working on Renesmee's videos. They'll be out in a moment."

Even as she spoke, her son and his wife came out the sliding back door. "Esme, what's happening?" Edward asked.

She glanced toward the four on the lawn, where Rosalie and Jennifer were picking up the children and heading for the porch, their preternatural hearing having picked up on Esme's words. She next looked down at Cailin, before looking back up at her son.

"Apparently Mason and Shalayne encountered a vampire in the woods on reservation lands. Mason alerted the other wolves and one of them called Jacob, who called here just a moment ago. Mason and Shalayne are escorting the vampire to us because he claims to know Cailin."

Cailin felt seven pairs of eyes on her—even the babies were looking at her now. "I don't know what game he's playing at," she said. "The only vampires I know are you lot."

"If you truly don't know this vampire, then it leaves the question of how he knows your name," Edward mused. "He can't be an associate of Joham's, unless Joham ever used the telephone."

"Did he ever call anybody that you know of?" Bella asked.

Cailin shook her head, then looked up at Jennifer. "No, not to my knowledge, but then I was only in his company the one night."

Jennifer, picking up the narrative, said, "I don't recall him ever using the phone. He always sent Maysun or myself after anything he wanted or needed, including…"

She didn't need to finish the sentence for any of them to know what she was talking about.

"Are any of the wolves coming besides Mason and Shalayne?" Edward asked, deftly changing the subject.

"Well, of course Jacob and the others are headed back now, but he said he would call Jared to have him send someone along," Esme replied. "Though they may arrive too late."

Cailin felt eyes on her again, setting her nerves to buzzing. "Rosalie, may I hold Fintan? I think I shall be calmer holding him."

"Of course," Rosalie said, moving to her side and lowering the baby into her lap.

Finn put his hand over hers when she cradled his head to her shoulder and patted the back of it. Cailin chuckled—she'd taken the babe into her arms needing his innate serenity to settle her, and here he was offering comfort freely.

_Don't be scared_, he told her silently.

"I'm not really scared, love," she said softly, looking into eyes that she still could not help marveling at. She loved that he had her eyes. "Just a wee bit nervous. This person that's coming says he knows me, but I can't say right now if I know him."

_Mommy and Gram will protect you. And Jennifer, and Uncle Edward, and Bella too_.

Cailin grinned as she looked up at the people he mentioned. "Finn says not to worry, I am well protected by you all."

Esme turned away toward the house, slipping inside as Rosalie said, "He's right. Whoever this guy is, we won't let him hurt you."

"Thank you, Rose," Cailin said, believing she meant it.

Moments later Esme returned, carrying a small pile of clothing. She informed no one in particular that she had raided Jacob's closet for Mason and her own for Shalayne, though she wasn't entirely sure the latter was the same size as she. Cailin suspected that vampire or no, she chattered so because she, too, was nervous. And why shouldn't she be? Whoever this vampire was, he was a potential danger to her family.

It wasn't too long before the group saw movement in the trees. The vampires, of course, saw something long before Cailin did. She heard Rosalie mutter that the man in the white shirt didn't seem threatening, but that looks could certainly be deceiving. Bella admitted she was glad Renesmée had demanded another play date with her grandpa, then apologized for not thinking—there were still two children on the premises, both much younger than her daughter. She then encouraged Edward to read the minds of the party approaching the tree line.

"Mason doesn't trust him, which is typical of the wolves, though in this case I can't say as I blame him," he said after a moment. "Shalayne is a great deal more optimistic, and open to believing the man until Cailin proves him a liar."

"What about the man 'imself?" Cailin asked. "What does he look like? Can you read him?"

"Curly hair, slightly shaggy," he said as he peered into the woods. "His eyes… they're actually gold like ours. He's been feeding on animals."

"That's a good sign, right?" Jennifer observed hopefully. "Aren't those who feed on animals typically less dangerous?"

"Typically," Rosalie echoed.

Edward turned to look at Cailin then. "Who's Seamus?"

Cailin felt her eyes widen. "Blimey, he knows me brother too?" she asked.

"From his thoughts he knows both of you very well—he's thinking about you right now. Hasn't seen you in several years and is very nervous as to whether you'll accept him as he is."

Her brow drew together in consternation. Who did she know whom she hadn't seen in a long time who had slightly shaggy curly hair, who also know her brother?

Just then, the expected trio appeared at the edge of the tree line. Mason and Shalayne flanked him on either side, the former snapping off a bark apparently as a signal for the man to stop.

"Bloody hell…" Cailin said slowly, standing with Finn clutched in her arms. "It…it can't be…"

She stepped away from the table and started down into the yard. Rosalie immediately fell into step on her left, Edward at her right, as they started across the space separating them from the vampire and the wolves. Mason appeared to take that as a signal to continue, and he stepped forward. Shalayne and the vampire walked with him, and the two trios met halfway across the yard, stopping with just a few feet between them.

"Oh, dear God it _is_ you," Cailin said, stepping forward and, without an ounce of hesitation, wrapping her free arm around the man before her. He stiffened at first, quite possibly afraid to breathe in her scent, and then her one-time friend relaxed and wrapped his chilly, strong arms around her in kind.

"Thank God you do not fear me, Cailin," he said.

She stepped back, raising her hand to his cool cheek. "William Easton, I could never, ever fear you."

"But Cailin, I'm… I'm not human anymore," he said, wonder widening his butterscotch eyes.

"I know. But even had I not known vampires before learning you were one of them, I would never have feared you. You have only ever been me friend."

Cailin stepped back from him, turning so that she could introduce him to the others. But as she was opening her mouth to speak, Will gasped.

"The boy…he has your eyes!" he said with incredulity. "But he…he's part vampire! I thought you were dating a wolf—it's what the female here said."

A sigh escaped her even as Finn was staring up at Will with avid curiosity. "Come to the deck and sit, and I'll tell you about it. But I expect you to reciprocate in kind, Will."

He nodded solemnly. "Tell me your story, my friend, and I shall tell you mine."

The group walked together toward the patio, where a noticeably relaxed Esme, Bella, and Jennifer waited with Ever. As they walked, Cailin introduced everyone, including Finn and the two wolves. When they had settled in the patio again, she told him in as short a story as possible how she had met Embry and been introduced into the world of the supernatural.

"And the child?" Will asked.

She looked at him squarely, saying as Jacob, Embry, Seth and Emmett came bursting through the patio door from the house, "He is my son. Born to me as were Jennifer and Ever to their mothers—innocent lives conceived in rape. Neither Jennifer Reyes or Sierra Bivens had the gift of knowing a brilliant doctor who could save them. Well, Sierra had met Dr. Cullen once, but by the time we learnt what had happened to her, it was far too late.

"But in my case, I took advantage of the Cullen family's kindness and begged Carlisle to save me. I could not leave my mother, nor Embry, both of whom need me more than they are willing to admit."

After saying the last line, she turned her head up and offered her love a smile. He smiled back, the tension of his worry for her leaving him as they gazed into one another's eyes. Embry walked to her and took the place at her right, where he had a clear view of Finn sitting in her lap. Cailin tensed slightly, preparing for the inevitable groan and eyeroll, but was surprised when he did neither. He merely looked down at the boy, who stared back without fear, and only sighed as he placed his hand on Cailin's shoulder.

Cailin chose to see that as progress, and turned back to Will. "Given his unique nature, I clearly cannae be the mum that Fintan needs. Though he tells me I shall always share his heart with her, 'tis Rosalie who will raise him into manhood."

"How can he tell you anything he's just a—" Will paused, his eyes widening as they fell upon the green-eyed little boy in her arms. "Did he just…?"

Edward nodded. "Fintan, like many of our kind, was born with a very special gift, one he actually began to exhibit in the womb. He can project his thoughts into the mind of anyone he chooses. There are those in my family, such as myself, who are also gifted."

Will looked up at him. "What can you do?"

"I hear everyone's thoughts, and I can see images as you recall them from memory. My sister Alice sees the future, her husband Jasper can alter emotions, Bella has the ability to shield all around her from psionic attack, and our daughter Renesmée can show you what she's thinking by touching you."

"I also have such a gift," added Jennifer. "Similar to Jasper, I can feel emotions, but I alter them differently. If I touched you, I would be able to draw your emotions away. It's not a gift I have had much reason to be thankful for. My sister Ever, here, can see what people are doing whenever she thinks about them."

"Like what they're doing at that exact moment?" he asked.

"Yup! I have what Nessie calls now-sight," said Ever proudly from Jennifer's arms.

Just then three wolves came bursting through the trees, Alex at the fore. Ever squealed in delight and wriggled so much that Jennifer had to put her down. She immediately clambered down the few steps from the patio to the yard and ran as fast as her chubby little legs would carry her toward the galloping wolf in the lead. Alex shifted as he reached her and scooped the little girl into his arms in a single fluid motion, clutching her tightly to his chest as though he hadn't seen her in years, when in fact it had only been a few hours since he'd left to help his father with some project at home.

Jennifer cleared her throat. "Alex," she said pointedly, her gaze boring into his eyes as she pointed toward his waist.

Alex colored with embarrassment, one hand going to shield Ever's eyes as his two companions—Jared and Brady—gave wolfish chortles even while moving to shield his nudity.

"I'm sorry," Alex said. "It's just we heard there was a strange vampire headed this way and all I could think of was getting to her and making sure she was safe."

His eyes feel then on Will and narrowed. "Who the hell are you?"

"I can assure you, Alex, he is a friend of mine," Cailin answered.

"He has yet to tell us his story, Jared," Edward said, his attention on the beta wolf. "You're welcome to remain and hear it if you like, but you might wish to stay as you are."

The gray wolf nodded his head. Emmett and Jennifer walked out to the three, Jennifer taking Ever with the admonition to keep her eyes closed as Emmett handed Alex the t-shirt and shorts Esme had originally brought out for Mason, who had remained in wolf form. Alex immediately donned the clothes, wrinkling his nose only once at the vampire scent in their threads, and reached for his imprint again.

"So who are you?" he asked again as Jennifer handed Ever back to him.

Will sighed, looking to Cailin—who introduced him again—and then he began his tale.

"I went to a club one night with some mates from my firm," he began, then looked around at the vampires and wolves surrounding him. "For those of you who don't know me, I was a junior associate with an accounting firm in London—was there about three years since graduating from university. Anyway, at this club there was this indescribably beautiful woman. Every man there—including the attached ones—wanted her. Some of the women did as well. And who could blame anyone? She barely had anything on and was dancing quite provocatively. Even I was not immune."

He paused when Cailin frowned at him. "Oh, don't give me that look, Cai. I can't help being a virile young man who is attracted to beautiful women. What should surprise you, old friend, is how attracted to me she appeared to be."

"Oh, sod that, Will," Cailin said with an absent wave of her hand. "You're a handsome, strapping lad, and only a blind woman wouldn't want you."

She turned her head then to look up at Embry. "And don't you go getting jealous, Mr. Call. Cute as he is, Will has never been anything more than a friend and brother to me."

"I'm not worried," Embry replied casually, though Cailin could see the not-so-subtle warning in his eyes as he looked at Will: _She's mine_.

Will nodded slightly and Cailin rolled her eyes. "As it were," Will went on, "Delia set her sights on me that night. We danced, I drank too much, and we wound up in the alley behind the club. Not my proudest moment, trying to take a lady in a filthy alley, but in my defense, I had imbibed far too much alcohol. Which, come to think of it, she paid for most of it… Given my present circumstances, I imagine it was her intention to souse some unlucky git that night and do precisely what she did to me."

He snorted in disgust and sat back in his chair. "Stupid me's thinking I'm going to get lucky with a gorgeous woman who would otherwise not have given me a second look, and in the midst of it, when I was about to…um, get to the end…that's when she bit me."

Will ran his hands over his face. "I feel like such a stupid wanker," he said. "The one time I overindulge in stereotypical male behavior, and what consequences am I made to pay for my lack of judgment? Cursed for all bloody eternity."

For a moment no one spoke. Cailin knew that at least two of the gathered vampires had felt exactly the same way for much of their new lives. That is, until they had found love and happiness. She truly hoped that someday—soon, preferably—Will would find someone to share his immortal existence with him. He was too kind and sweet and caring a person to be forced to live an eternity alone.

"What about your diet?" Emmett spoke up. "I mean, by your story I'm assuming you got left for dead in that alley. How is it you didn't slaughter the first few humans you came into contact with after the change?"

"Yeah—your eyes are gold like ours," Bella observed.

"I saw in Mason and Shalayne's thoughts that you were feeding on a buck when they found you," Edward added.

Will nodded. "I've a probably foolish tendency to only feed every couple of weeks. As for my diet, my family owns a hunting cabin in Sherwood. My mates—who found me in the alley and thought I had overdosed on something given the growling I was apparently doing—took me there that night in an attempt to protect my reputation. I was such a good boy, after all," he added with a roll of his eyes.

Esme gasped. "You mean they just left you there all alone?"

Will shrugged. "My friend Eric said they were all somewhat drunk and just didn't know what else to do with me. But they were rightly concerned about what my parents would think, so they figured taking me back to my flat was a bad idea. And it may have been, as my mum's not above just walking in if I don't answer the door."

He sighed and sat back. "When I awoke in the evening three days later, the ability to see in high definition fascinated me—for all of about two seconds. The moment the thirst made itself known, it was all I could think about. The animals I smelled in the woods around me didn't appeal to me, but I knew I had to eat something—the burn in my throat was so bloody painful that anything was better than nothing. First meal I ever had as a vampire was a deer. I suppose maybe I've an odd sort of fondness for them because of that. Plus, I've always liked venison…

"Of course, it's as I'm drinking the unlucky buck's blood that it hit me what the hell I was doing. Backed away in disgust, went back because I was hungry… I'm sure you all know what it was like."

The vampires looked at one another. "Indeed, although for some of us, our indoctrination into this life was rather more controlled because of my father, Carlisle. If you'd like, we'll introduce you to him later this evening," Edward told him.

Will nodded. "After I'd finished," he went on, "I sat there staring at the dead deer, and thought about what I'd done. I tried to think of my favorite foods, and none of them appealed to me. All I could think about was getting another mouthful of blood. And I thought of human blood of course, making my mouth water with what I now know is venom. Without having even scented a human, I knew it would be the best ever. But I didn't want to kill anyone—the thought of taking a life thoroughly repulsed me. So I made some quick phone calls claiming I'd had something of an unexpected nervous breakdown and needed time to myself to clear my head. All who knew me were surprised, of course, but they respected my choice to see my 'illness' through my way. So… I spent a few weeks at the cabin acclimating to this new me."

Esme said to him, "I'm so sorry you had to go through it alone. Whether feeding on humans or animals, no one should have to endure the transition by themselves."

Will shrugged indifferently as Bella said, "Not everyone's as lucky as we were, to have a Carlisle or an Edward to help them through it."

"It is what it is, Mrs. Cullen," Will said.

"When did this happen to you?" Jacob spoke up for the first time.

Will looked at him. "Six months ago last Friday."

"This is it," Cailin said then. She looked at her brother's childhood best friend, her own second brother, and suddenly she knew what had driven him and Seamus apart.

"This is why you and Seamus had that row," she continued. "He said that you stopped talking to him out of nowhere, and when he tried phoning or visiting you wouldn't see him. He said you kept brushing him off without telling him why, and that finally he'd had enough—he left a rather strongly worded message on your answering machine and said he was done with you for being such a prat. But I guess you've managed to smooth things over, as you're both here together."

"Cailin, look at me," Will implored. "Do you honestly think your brother could accept me as I am? He doesn't know the truth and you can't tell him."

"Whyever not? I know there's a big deal about secrecy and all that, but how would the Volturi ever find out he knows? And sure, he might freak a bit at first, but he'd come round, and he would keep your secret as long as you don't hurt anybody."

Will shook his head. "You don't understand, love," he replied. "Barring being set on fire, I'm going to outlive the both of you by a great many years. I can't burden Seamus with that. Not when he's in love with me."


End file.
